One Heart, Full Mind
by Sapphire Insanity
Summary: Someone has gotten a hold of Shou Tucker's research notes. And now they want to continue what he accidentally started, which will mean a whole lot of trouble for Edward Elric. Sequel to Truth Behind Lies.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary;** Someone has gotten a hold of Shou Tucker's research notes. And now they want to continue what he accidentally started, which will mean a whole lot of trouble for Edward Elric.

**A/N;** And so we have _the sequel_! Welcome back to everyone who has read _Truth Behind Lies_ and followed the story, and to everyone who has just stumbled upon this story I would very much suggest reading the prequel first, else this may not make much sense to you :) Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed in my last story and I hope you enjoy this sequel!

**WARNING!** This story contains _major_ spoilers about the end of both the manga and _Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood_, as well as perhaps some of the events that occurred leading up to the end. Well… more the end of the Promised Day, but not the rest of it; this story is set perhaps a week or so after the end of the Promised Day and from there on it becomes an AU.

**Chapter One;**

'_A partial chimera...'_

It was surprising that no one else had picked up on it, and that no one had understood what a miracle (not to mention alchemic breakthrough) it was. After it had happened no one had thought any more of it, and Colonel Mustang had personally seen to it that the case was shelved permanently. After all, in their minds, nothing had actually happened so there was no point worrying about it.

'_Wrong!'_

They were fools, the lot of them! The military gave up their chance when they hid the evidence away from the world and told only a select few who would keep the secret even more zealously. Yet no one had suspected that one of those who had been told, while keeping the secret, would use the information for their own gain.

It was too bad Tucker had been killed not long after he had attempted to create a chimera out of the Fullmetal Alchemist. _He_ would have been interested in his own findings, definitely.

With a sigh the man pushed away from the old, rickety desk and leaned back, staring up at the roof of the dimly lit, dank cave he was currently occupying. Across the desk was his research, the only thing he had been able to do while he was in hiding. It was best not to venture out these days; he had been seen taking Tucker's research notes back and he doubted that the fact that the government had been turned on its head in the last few days meant that the soldiers were lax.

With a frown he pulled a document toward him with the name 'Edward Elric' scrawled across the top, accidentally knocking some newspaper clippings to the ground in the process. The clippings all talked about Tucker's case, only one making mention of 'a young boy' being involved somehow.

Mustang had covered it all up, made sure that Elric's involvement was hidden so that people didn't ask weird questions. Of everyone he was probably the only one who suspected what had actually happened at that house and he took steps to protect his young subordinate. As such Elric was never mentioned be name and most of the information about him after the failed transmutation came from a second hand source who kept an eye on everything that happened in Central for him.

For example he had been told that Elric had, at some point, stopped displaying the odd, dog-like behaviour that had been the signs of the partial transmutation. Not many other people had noticed since Elric had been very careful about reigning it in, so whether the effects had actually faded with time or whether the boy had made a conscious effort to block them was unknown.

The dog, however, was still as intelligent as it had been since the incident, looking after his young mistress and protecting her from suspicious strangers. Likely this meant Elric had simply trained himself against the impulse to show odd behaviours.

The dog had probably gotten the better end of the deal at the end of the day. But he wasn't interested in the intelligent canine. No, he was far more interested in the boy that had survived the transmutation.

Which made him curse, again, the military for not looking more into the matter and therefore missing the signs that would have had them studying the transmutation and experimenting with it. Mostly everything he had figured out was theoretical and, as of yet, he had not been able to repeat the experiment without killing his 'helpers'.

He needed to get hold of Elric and examine him. Perhaps there was something in the boy's makeup now that showed how it was done and what point the transmutation needed to go to. Or maybe Elric was just supremely lucky and was one of the few that _could_ have survived something like that.

The fact was that Elric had survived the transmutation with nothing more than a few effects. Someone had attempted to turn him into a chimera and not only was he still human but he had suffered absolutely no ill effects. How was this possible? Even the partial transmutations he had attempted so far had all ended in disaster.

Perhaps it really had simply been luck. There was no denying that Shou Tucker had most definitely been a brilliant man. His theories and experiments on chimera had been astounding and the fact that he had actually successfully created a human chimera – without letting on what it was – had once been nothing short of amazing. He had truly been an expert on chimera, and his research had been used over and over again until it had been perfected, making chimeras that looked completely human but could turn into vicious animals and had all the characteristics of those animals.

But, still, there was no way Tucker could have known what he was creating. The experiment had been interrupted by Mustang and his men... that had been near impossible to replicate because it was hard to figure out _when_ the transmutation had been stopped. Had it been seconds, minutes?

He groaned and laid his head on the desk in front of him, frustrated beyond belief. He just seemed to keep going around in circles, never reaching the answer he sought.

He needed Elric.

Once he had Elric he would be able to work out all the holes that his research currently had. He would be able to fill information where there previously had been none, and no one would be able to get in the way of his experiments.

And once he had figured out how to do it properly? It was interesting to note that Elric's mind had merged slightly with the dog's, causing the odd behaviours in both of them. Yet Elric's intelligence had not been affected, so he had not actually given the dog anything of his. It was more that he had copied and shared what he already had. Likely the experiences and behaviours of the dog had also done the same to Elric, but that one was hard to tell since the boy was so careful about showing them.

If the animal had been conditioned to certain responses... what then? Say he had a cat who had been trained to hiss at anyone wearing green, would that response carry over? And how many times could the partial transmutation occur? The chimera transmutation could only be done once without killing the subject.

A partial transmutation, however, that was made up of subconscious thoughts and reactions and behaviours and had no affect on the physical body... it could be done far more than once. And if he could get hold of Elric he could even test that.

His hands clenched on the desk. _If_ he could get hold of Elric. The kid was currently an Amestrian hero, he had been the only one who had been able to beat that homunculus that had been trying to take over Amestris and kill every in the country (so said his contact, at any rate, as well as the rumour mill, though most of the public only knew that he had a hand in subduing the attacking forces at Central Headquarters). He would be lucky if he could even get _close_ to Elric, particularly since the rumours also said the younger brother was out of that suit of armour and in hospital.

So even if he did get Elric away from his guards, the older brother would probably still be hovering over Alphonse Elric. It would be a miracle to get him alone.

Who said he had to, though? He frowned in thought. He needed Elric, that much was evident, and the sooner the better. With the country in turmoil after the death of King Bradley and his son it shouldn't be that hard to slip under the radar.

For gods sake, Tucker had hidden a murder for two years, and he would have gotten away with it for a lot longer had it not been for a small, blonde brat. He, specialised in investigations and having planned this for _months_, could get past guards looking for enemies and maybe even take their prized hero right from beneath their noses.

Wouldn't that be a riot?

Slowly a large, predatory grin formed. A riot indeed...

FMAFMAFMA

Colonel Roy Mustang knew he had more important things to worry about then a folder that had been missing for the last few months. Generally, once he had heard about it, he would be annoyed that he hadn't found out about it until months later, furious that the culprit had not only gotten away but also had yet to be caught, and exasperated at the lax security that had allowed the folder to be stolen in the first place.

When he found out that _this_ particular file had been stolen, however, fury was the only one of those emotions he felt. And even that was swamped by the horror and anxiety that flooded through him right after.

It didn't help that the man who had stolen it, Lieutenant Ryan Cooper, had actually been on the team that had investigated the matter to start with, so he would have originally known everything anyway. No word had yet reached the public of the cover up that had been done around the time of Tucker's death, and it didn't look like that would ever happen.

But there were other, more dangerous, issues involved in the stealing of that file. Cooper must have needed it for something, something important enough to risk going in the run for.

That did not bode well for Mustang, or Edward Elric, former Fullmetal Alchemist.

Damn it, he had to warn the kid, get him out of Central as fast as possible even if his younger brother wasn't recovered enough to go on the road. Especially with the loss of his alchemic abilities he would be a sitting duck if Cooper decided to act.

Mustang was halfway out of his chair, ready to rush to the hospital right then and there, when he stopped, frowning. Cooper had had that research for months now, and no attempt had been made on Edward so far (disregarding everything related to the homunculus, naturally). If he was going to do so the time would have been when Edward had been on the road and basically defenceless but for his younger brother.

Maybe he was reading too much into this. Breda had only told him an hour ago about the files and he was reacting instantly as though the battle situation hadn't been dispelled. Sighing Mustang rubbed his eyes; they had had a tendency to itch ever since Marcoh had helped him use the Philosopher's Stone to restore his sight.

Truthfully he was surprised Edward hadn't kicked him for that when he realised. But instead he had stared at mustang for a long time and then given a small nod and a smile, accepting Mustang's choice, and perhaps even approving it. The brothers had promised they wouldn't use the stone, but that didn't mean Mustang could not.

Slowly Mustang sat back down. He would look forward to when Hawkeye got out of hospital tomorrow, because she was his voice of reason, and she would prevent him from having any more panic attacks over small things.

With this thought in mind Mustang pushed away everything to do with the missing files and returned to the papers he was drawing up. There was nothing wrong, he was just being paranoid.

In the weeks to come Mustang would kick himself for that thought.

**Next Chapter; **Dealing with the loss alchemy, a recovering brother and the knowledge about his condition Edward receives news about the missing folder. Setting out to find Mustang might be a little more dangerous than he had expected, however…


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary;** Someone has gotten a hold of Shou Tucker's research notes. And now they want to continue what he accidentally started, which will mean a whole lot of trouble for Edward Elric.

**Disclaimer;** Why do I keep forgetting this? I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, just the current psycho after Edward.

**A/N;** For all the positive feedback I got in the last chapter I thought you lot deserved a quick update :), so here it is! I'm almost finished chapter three, as well, so keep an eye out! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

**WARNING;** This story contains major spoilers for the end of the manga and Brotherhood.

**Chapter Two;**

It was with great effort that Edward Elric resisted the urge to tilt his head back and sniff the air.

There was a terrific smell coming from somewhere, and it seemed strangely (or, perhaps, not so strangely by now) strong, though Edward knew from experience that the strength of the smell that he was experiencing meant that no one else – no one _normal_, at any rate – could smell it. He knew that if he let himself he could follow his nose directly to where it was coming from.

But, damn it, he didn't _want_ to do that. He would be thankful if he couldn't smell it at all. But he could, and it was just one of those daily reminders that he wasn't as normal as he pretended he was.

It had taken awhile, but Edward had stopped fooling himself and focused all his energies into fooling everyone else. If he could make them believe that everything was fine, then maybe it would be.

Unfortunately it hadn't quite worked out as he had hoped it would. No one suspected that something was different, not even Alphonse who professed to know everything about his older brother by now, but that didn't stop the fact that _Edward_ knew. He knew, and he experienced it, and everyday he cursed the day he had ever met Shou Tucker.

Tucker had turned him into this. Tucker had turned his existence into a struggle of who he was and what he had become. It hadn't been as bad when he was hunting down the homunculus, though those few months when he was recovering and regaining strength had been hell with nothing but his own thoughts to occupy him. And the rapid approach of the Promised Day and the subsequent reuniting with Al had helped drive it far from his mind.

But the Promised Day was over now. Alphonse was back in his flesh body. Edward had regained his arm (though somewhat reluctantly; he would have traded his arm back to stop those heart-stopping moments when he thought his little brother was gone for good) and kept his automail leg, losing alchemy in the process. Mustang would recover 20-20 vision in no time. Hohenheim had disappeared somewhere again. Winry and Pinako would be waiting for them in Risembool.

For three blissful days Edward had basked in the glorious feeling of the world being _right_ again. Nothing could stop how ecstatic he was that Alphonse was fine and getting stronger every moment. And then the sound of a tinny dog whistle had brought his problems crashing back to the forefront of his mind.

"Nii-san?"

Edward turned his head to look at his little brother, who was leaning heavily on him as they walked slowly down to the hospital cafeteria. For a moment he wondered what had caused the slightly concerned looked on Alphonse's face, before he realised that he was scowling and his body had tensed.

Instantly he relaxed and softened his face into a small, but genuine smile. Just the sight of his brother walking and talking outside than damn suit of armour could do that for him.

"Is something wrong?" Alphonse persisted.

"Nothing, Al," Edward said, shaking his head. "Just think about something."

"Must have been pretty heavy thinking."

"Well, you know me."

"What, falling asleep when you're supposed to be coming up with something?"

"That... was completely uncalled for."

But Edward was laughing as he said it. He didn't think anger would be something he would feel for awhile, not when he was this happy with only the smallest factor trying to spoil it. Then again, he had yet to see Colonel Mustang, so he still had to test that theory with someone reliable.

"The colonel came to see me yesterday while you were sleeping," Alphonse said as though he was reading Edward's mind. "He said he wanted to talk to you. Something about military business."

"Probably about the termination of my contract," Edward pointed out. "I don't think it's up yet... but I can't be the Fullmetal Alchemist without alchemy, can I?"

"Not exactly," Alphonse said a little awkwardly. Truthfully the younger was a little concerned that Edward could no longer do alchemy; alchemy had been their life for so long that it was hard to think what he would do without it if it had been him. "You're probably right."

"I know I am," Edward said dismissively. "Hey, watch these stairs."

"I _can_ see, nii-san."

Carefully the two brothers descended the stairs. People they passed stared, watching with a soft fondness as the older helped his younger brother down them with a patience they would have been shocked at had they known the older blonde was the legendary Fullmetal Alchemist. As they reached the bottom Alphonse and Edward were surprised to see that someone was waiting for them.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye!" Alphonse said, pleased. "How are you?"

"Much better, thank you, Alphonse," said Hawkeye with a smile. "And you?"

"Great!"

"Edward, what about you?" Hawkeye asked, tilting her head toward him. "You look like you have something on your mind."

Was it really that noticeable? Perhaps not to everyone, but Hawkeye had made a lifetime of studying other people in order to notice the smallest, imperceptible threats that could be made against the colonel.

"I'm fine," Edward said with a nod, not sure if he was trying to convince her, Alphonse or himself.

Perhaps she knew this because she didn't inquire further. Instead she simply mentioned that she was going to the cafeteria, and would they like to join her?

"Yes, thanks," Alphonse answered, pleased.

"How's your wound?" Edward asked as they sat a little later, a tray of hospital _goop_ slopped on their trays; surrepticiously Edward poked it with his fork, wondering if maybe there was something alive in there.

"Much better," Hawkeye said, making no move to touch her food. Which was, perhaps, the wisest option... "I will have a scar, naturally, but I will make a full recovery."

"Good," said Edward with feeling, carefully scooping up something that looked vaguely like it might have been mashed potatoes.

Alphonse nodded in agreement, too busy eating to answer verbally. At this point in time Alphonse was far too thrilled to be _able_ to eat to really care whether the blob on his tray looked like it might try and crawl off any moment. Edward shrugged and started eating too, Hawkeye carefully following suit moments later.

"Have you been released yet, lieutenant?" Edward asked.

"Yes," Hawkeye assured him. "I had heard that Alphonse would finally make a trip outside his room today, and I thought I might be here for that."

"Thank you," Edward said simply, needing no other words to convey how grateful he was to her for that. Hawkeye nodded once in reply.

"I do have something else, though," Hawkeye said after a moment. "Colonel Mustang asked me to pass on a message to you, Edward; he would like to see you at the earliest possible convenience."

"If it's about my termination as a State Alchemist, I already know about that," Edward assured her.

"The form is on his desk waiting for the signatures of all parties," Hawkeye said, then frowned. "Though I am not entirely sure that is the full reason he wants to see you. The form can wait until Alphonse is a little stronger, but whatever the colonel would like to speak to you about seemed urgent."

A small chill went down Edward's spine. That sounded far too ominous.

"Didn't he tell you?" Alphonse asked, pausing in his eating.

"No," Hawkeye said, shaking her head. "Though Havoc did mention to me that the colonel has become a little worried after he found out that a file has been missing for a few months."

"What file?" Edward asked warily, not sure if he wanted to know.

"The file pertaining to the Tucker case."

Dread tied itself in a knot in Edward's stomach. That had _not_ been what he had hoped to hear.

"Who took it?" he asked sharply.

"I'm afraid I don't know, though I suspect the colonel does."

"That's not good, is it?" Alphonse asked with a frown. "Whoever got hold of those files could try and replicate what Tucker did."

"Yes," said Edward vacantly, his mind whirling.

It was problematic on that level, for sure. But there was another worry deep in Edward's mind. That report included everything that had happened the day Tucker had tried to transmute him... _everything_. At the time Edward had been forced to include the supposed side-effects of the transmutation into the doctor's report, but it hadn't been a problem since that was all he had thought they were, side effects.

Now that he knew better the admittance of those effects held far dire consequences. Should someone smart enough look at that and figure it out... and if they should take it to the military...

No, Mustang wouldn't let that happen. Edward had come to believe the man suspected long before Edward had what the consequences of the failed transmutation were, which had been why he had taken such steps to keep the boy's name out of it. Very few knew Edward had been involved.

Which made it likely that it was of them who had taken the file. Someone hadn't deserved the trust they had been given. And now, months after the fact, the file had been taken and anything could happen.

'_No!'_

He couldn't think like that. Panicking over something that likely wouldn't happen wasn't going to do him any good. Whoever it was had had the file for months… and they hadn't done anything at all about it. Chances were that they were operating in secret somewhere far away from Central and weren't even concerned about the role Edward had played.

Still, it was slightly worrying. Edward frowned and propped his chin on his hand, staring unseeingly at the opposite wall as Hawkeye and Alphonse talked. He couldn't deny that he was definitely curious about who was behind it. Perhaps...

He shook himself. No, he was finished now, military work was no longer his and he was somewhat glad for it. Granted he wasn't sure what he was going to do now, but he was technically a civilian and nothing the military did should involve him.

He was going to find out what Mustang wanted, and then he was going to stay out of it, even if the man asked for his help. He would get the papers signed and then take Alphonse back to Risembool where they could see Winry and Pinako again and figure out where to go from here.

Yes, that was a good plan.

Edward wasn't even aware that he had already stood up until Alphonse tugged on his sleeve.

"Where are you going, nii-san?" the younger blonde asked.

"Er... I was thinking maybe I should go see what Mustang wants," Edward said. "And get all my paperwork signed so we're good to go back home when we're ready."

The look Alphonse gave him (and wasn't it just thrilling that Alphonse was even _able_ to give him looks, no matter how annoyed or embarrassed he could make Edward feel?) that told him that his younger brother didn't buy it. Deliberately Edward looked the other way, not willing to explain himself.

After all, how could he explain that he had a reasonable plan in mind and yet the smallest (and somehow most dominant) part of his brain was nagging at him for something different? Nagging at him to find out who was behind the theft?

"I won't be long," Edward promised.

"Alright," Alphonse said reluctantly. "Don't do anything stupid."

"When do I ever do stupid things?"

"Do you want me to answer that?"

Edward shot a glare at Alphonse, not exactly appreciating the implication. Yet he supposed Alphonse was also right in a way; things just tended to go wrong around Edward.

"Lieutenant, could you help Al back to his room when he wants to go?" Edward asked.

"Of course," Hawkeye said. "I'll stay with him until you return. Please tell the colonel that for me."

"I will," Edward promised.

Alphonse frowned and shifted uncomfortably in his seat, not taking his eyes away from his older brother. Edward simply grinned at him, hoping to alleviate whatever worries the younger had.

"I'll be back soon," he said. "It won't take me long to find out what Mustang wants."

"Alright, brother," Alphonse sighed, standing carefully to indicate that he was finished, and Hawkeye stood too. "See you when you get back."

Edward gave a nod and watched as Hawkeye helped his brother out of the cafeteria. When they were gone he started to walk away, his mind whirling with thoughts about what Mustang might want from him and what he would do when he found out.

Thankfully the walk to Headquarters would not be a long one. Exiting the hospital and raising his right hand to shield his eyes from the suddenly bright sun Edward could see Central Headquarters rising above everything else a few blocks away, even though half of it had fallen apart in the battle against Father and the homunculi.

It suddenly occurred to Edward that he didn't know _where_ in headquarters Mustang was going to be, and he hadn't thought to ask. Hopefully the man would be in his office, and if he wasn't then, if Edward was lucky, someone would be around for him to ask.

The streets were almost empty, people still sticking cautiously to their homes and hurrying from shelter to shelter if they did need to go out, not having gotten over the fright of the so-called coup that had been staged not long ago. Recognition lit their faces as they saw Edward hurrying past, but they had no time to call out to their hero before he was gone.

Edward was glad of that. It was bad enough that everyone thought that he was one of the heroes of a false battle, but he supposed it could be worse; he supposed they could know that he had helped, and dealt the final blow, in annihilating a threat that would have destroyed all of Amestris. Then he would _never_ get any rest.

It was a good thing he was planning on getting out of here soon. When Alphonse was stronger he would be able to take him back to Risembool and get away from the craziness of the city while he considered what to do next.

What _would_ he do next? It was something that Edward worried about in quiet moments at night when he was able to push his other problems away. His alchemy was gone, he could no longer be in the military and the goal he had worked toward since he had decided on the course of action when he was ten was completed.

What was left after that?

Maybe someone would be able to tell him. Maybe he would figure it out as he went. There were things he could learn to do, alchemy didn't have to be his life any longer. Or, maybe, if he was supremely unlucky, he could end up on the run from the military laboratories wanting to study him...

Right, _not_ a good thing to be thinking about on his way to military headquarters. Edward shook the thought out of his mind and turned down an alleyway that would get him to where he wanted to be much quicker than the normal routes.

Normally Edward would have seen it coming. But he was too deep in thought, and the aftermath of the battle with Father had left him relaxed and at peace for the first time in a very long time. As such when someone pounced on him from nowhere it took him completely by surprise.

With a cry of alarm Edward felt himself pitching forward and hitting the concrete hard, scraping both hands. Instantly he tried to scramble to his feet but then there was a sudden hard pressure between his shoulders, forcing him back down.

"Get off me!" Edward snarled, twisting.

"I don't think so," said a cold, unfamiliar voice. "This took too much planning."

Next thing Edward knew a cloth was being forced into his face, over his mouth and nose. Startled Edward drew in a breath, promptly getting a whiff of something sickly sweet.

It didn't take long to take effect. Edward's struggles got weaker and his body felt so heavy suddenly and his eyelids were drooping against his will. When he finally relaxed fully on the ground, the pressure on his back was removed, but he couldn't make himself move. The blurry form of a person knelt beside him just before Edward's eyes closed.

"Nighty night, Fullmetal Alchemist."

**Next Chapter;** Mustang wants to warn Edward about Cooper, but soon realises that he may have been too late. Hawkeye and Alphonse learn what Mustang knows.

**Thanks to;**

Kame-tan, Kitsura E., Lightest'Ink, xXLunarWolfXx, AnimexoverCartoons, Yiriiyu, Ryoko Yuki and manga-animelove


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary;** Someone has gotten a hold of Shou Tucker's research notes. And now they want to continue what he accidentally started, which will mean a whole lot of trouble for Edward Elric.

**Disclaimer;** I definitely don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, though it would be awesome if I did.

**A/N;** Yay for another chapter! And for a special occasion too; it's my birthday tomorrow! I'm so excited and happy right now, and I thought I'd share my enthusiasm with another quick chapter. Hope you enjoy it!

**WARNING;** This story contains major spoilers for the end of the manga and Brotherhood.

**Chapter Three;**

_Tap, tap, tap._

Mustang's eye twitched.

_Tap, tap, tap._

His hand clenched around his pen so hard he was surprised it didn't break.

_Tap, tap, tap._

Slowly his left, unoccupied hand slid into a single white glove.

_Tap, tap, tap._

"If you don't stop that, Breda, I _will_ fry you," Mustang said in carefully controlled calm, an effect that was ruined by him glaring through the open office door and holding up his gloved hand.

Instantly Breda stopped tapping his pen on the desk and delved back into his work, chagrined. Mustang kept glaring for a moment later and then he dropped his own pen with an irritable sigh.

How long did it take one kid to get from the hospital to headquarters?

If Mustang wanted to be honest with himself he would admit that he hadn't actually asked for Edward to come straight to him, just said that he wanted to see him as soon as possible. But he had thought the boy would be worried enough to come straight away.

Thus why he had been waiting two hours straight.

And it wasn't just him, either, Lieutenant Hawkeye had been meant to return once she had delivered the message, but she was mysteriously absent as well. It was so very not like her to skip work like this and it made Mustang just slightly worried for her.

Mustang cast his eye on the report that was sitting on his desk. He fully intended to tell Edward exactly who was behind the theft of the file in case the man _did_ try something, but then he hoped to send the boy back to Risembool. If worse came to worse and Edward did want to get involved then Mustang had a trump card; Alphonse was nowhere near ready to get involved in something like this. Because, naturally, wherever Edward went Alphonse went.

It was something that had both startled and concerned him when Edward first began going on missions when he was twelve. Alphonse was a civilian, even if he was a somewhat immortal civilian in a suit of armour. And the kid was only eleven and had to be the gentlest soul (no pun intended) that Mustang had ever met.

However, these worries were soon abated when Edward was forced on a team mission about two months after he passed the exam, dragging Alphonse with him. As they fought the bandits trying their hardest to kill them Mustang had been impressed at Edward's fighting skills. But he had been amazed at Alphonse, who moved effortlessly in the armour and was even better than his older brother. What had really struck him, however, was when a bandit had come up behind Edward without his notice and Alphonse, gentle Alphonse, had responded by viciously striking him down.

After that Mustang stopped arguing about Alphonse going with Edward and simply accepted it as it was, silently. The suit of armour, no, the younger brother, obviously protected the new state alchemist and Mustang had to admit that he could think of no better protection. There was also the fact that Alphonse could handle Edward better than probably anyone bar Miss Rockbell ever would.

The sharp sound of the phone ringing cut through Mustang's musings and he jumped slightly. Clearing his throat he picked up the receiver.

"Mustang, speaking," he said formally.

"_Colonel Mustang, it's Lieutenant Hawkeye."_

"Ah." Mustang paused. "Where are you calling from?"

"_The hospital, sir. I'm staying with Alphonse until Edward returns, did he not tell you that?"_

"_Brother's sometimes forgetful,"_ Mustang heard Alphonse say in the background, voice full of exasperation.

"He likely would have told me had he been here," Mustang said, rolling his eyes. "But he hasn't arrived yet. Is he on his way?"

The silence on the other end stretched so long that Mustang wondered if Hawkeye was even still there. He frowned at his desk, ignoring Falman, Breda and Fuery not-so-subtly eavesdropping.

"_Sir, Edward left the hospital about an hour and half ago in order to go and see you."_

Mustang looked at the clock, startled. It would_ not_ take someone and hour and half to get from the hospital to headquarters. It was a five minute walk even if you just ambled.

"Fullmetal has not arrived here," said Mustang, starting to frown. "Are you sure he was going to come straight here?"

"_Brother promised to go straight there and come back," _Alphonse's voice suddenly said over the line, sounding anxious. _"That's why the lieutenant is still here; brother asked her to stay with me until he returned."_

Edward had never before broken a promise like that, and Mustang doubted that he would start by breaking such a promise to his recovering brother. Which meant that something was very wrong here.

"One moment, Alphonse," he said and then pulled the receiver away from his ear a little. "Fuery, send a message out to everyone to tell us if they have seen the Fullmetal Alchemist on base."

"Yes, sir!" Fuery said, jumping up and rushing to the radios.

"Did Fullmetal say where he was going to look for me?" Mustang asked into the phone.

"_He said he would go to your office first and then wander around if he couldn't find you," _said Hawkeye, obviously having taken the phone back.

Mustang frowned heavily and started unconsciously tapping his fingers on his desk. It was very unlikely, then, that Edward was in headquarters; after over three years he definitely knew his way to Mustang's office. But why wasn't he here?

And then his eyes fell on Ryan Cooper's report and his blood ran cold. He looked at the photo of the man staring back up at him, a small smirk twisting his lips and his eyes a cold, steel gray from underneath a shock of dirty blonde hair.

He was going to warn Edward about this man, tell him to watch his back and keep an eye out for him... had he been too late?

"Lieutenant, I am on my way to the hospital," Mustang said abruptly, standing and grabbing Cooper's report, folding it and slipping it into his pocket. "I will look and see if I can find any sign of Fullmetal on the way."

"_Yes, sir."_

Not bothering with pleasantries Mustang put the phone down quickly and grabbed his black coat, looking at his subordinates.

"When Fuery has found all he can the lot of you are to join me at the hospital," he said. "Fuery, you can report then."

He swept out of the office, his heads buried deep within the pockets of his coat as he walked, people quickly scurrying out of his way when they saw his focused, intense look. All the while his eyes flicked about him for some sign of the blonde ex-alchemist.

But there was nothing, as Mustang had suspected, even if he had hoped that Edward had merely gotten caught up talking to someone. He doubted that the boy would be on the base and his hands clenched as he exited headquarters and strode through the ruined courtyard, the signs of Edward's battle with Father still there.

What was he going to do if Cooper had actually gotten hold of Edward? Damn it, why hadn't he ever talked to the kid about what he suspected Tucker had done to him? Maybe if he had they could have come up with a contingency plan in case something like this ever happened.

But Mustang had been too secure in the knowledge that he was the only one that knew. He was the only one who had guessed that Edward was now not as normal as he appeared to be.

He wouldn't pretend to understand what had happened. He had absolutely no idea how Tucker's failed experiment had affected Edward. But every time Nina and Alexander came into town with her grandparents to visit her "big brothers" he would watch the dog, watch the intelligent eyes that looked about carefully for some sign of a threat, and he would feel a chill down his spine.

Alexander was still affected which meant Edward would be too. Those "side effects" would likely never go away, the effects far too deeply ingrained in the mind.

But why would Cooper want a boy who had already been experimented on? Surely he couldn't do the experiment again without killing him.

Right?

Despite assuring himself that a scientist like Cooper wouldn't risk it Mustang found his steps quickening until he was almost jogging down the alleyways Edward regularly favoured. He was going so fast that he almost missed it.

It was just a bit of cloth, sitting innocently on the ground. But it was the faint smell that Mustang experienced as he went passed it that made him suspicious, the wind blowing it right in his face. Moving back to it he picked it up and sniffed cautiously.

Instantly he felt slightly lightheaded and he dropped the cloth and stumbled back a step. That was chloroform!

Why was a cloth smelling of chloroform doing in the middle of this alley? And it was still slightly damp so it had been used recently.

'_Perhaps as recently as an hour and a half ago,'_ a voice in the back of his mind whispered.

Cursing Mustang picked up the cloth and shoved it into his pocket. And then, dignity tossed to the wind, he ran the rest of the way to the hospital.

FMAFMAFMA

Riza Hawkeye had known Roy Mustang for a very long time and she had seen him in many different situations. She had seen him at his very worst, she had seen him cry, she had watched him warily when he was inordinately pleased with himself about something and, especially since Edward had joined them, she had seen his mischievous side more than once.

But she didn't think she had ever seen him gasping for breath, flushed and holding a stitch in his side after having run flat out. Mustang just didn't _do_ that.

Which meant something had gone very, very wrong.

"Colonel?" she asked cautiously as he collapsed into a chair beside Alphonse's bed.

"Fullmetal," he wheezed. "It's Fullmetal."

Alphonse opened his mouth to say something, but Hawkeye quickly held up a hand, halting the words.

"Let him catch his breath for a moment, Alphonse," she said.

After a few moments Mustang straightened, his breathing more even but still massaging his side slightly. He looked very worried and Hawkeye suddenly had the dreaded feeling that Edward was in a lot of trouble.

"Sir, what's wrong with nii-san?" Alphonse asked instantly as Hawkeye slowly lowered her hand.

"I believe he has been kidnapped," Mustang said gravely. "And I believe I know by whom."

"Sir, tell us what's happened, please," said Hawkeye, easing herself into a seat and rubbing the wound on her neck lightly; the doctors had told her it would hurt for awhile.

"Please, why would someone kidnap my brother?" Alphonse asked pleadingly.

"Very well," sighed Mustang. "Tell me what you know of what occurred to Fullmetal after Shou Tucker performed his experiment."

"Well, he kept acting like a dog at the oddest times, like he would growl a lot and once he even barked, and he was frustrated every time it happened," Alphonse offered. "But it stopped after awhile."

"I noticed the same thing," Hawkeye said with a nod. "I thought that after it stopped then whatever side effects had occurred were gone."

"I believe you're both wrong," Mustang said, sitting back. "I believe these "side effects" are not only still there, but they are also permanent."

"But... nii-san stopped making those sounds!" Alphonse protested.

"Which is why I also believe now that Edward had already figured this out," Mustang said with a nod. "He worked out what had happened to him and made a conscious effort to stop showing these side effects."

"But that would mean he's..." Alphonse trailed off and frowned. "He's what?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Mustang admitted. "The best thing I can come up with is that he is partly a chimera; physically he wasn't affected, but mentally he was."

"Didn't Edward say that the link in the mind was formed first, which then dragged the bodies together?" Hawkeye asked thoughtfully.

"Exactly. The mind like was formed, though not fully, before we interrupted. Fullmetal began displaying dog-like behaviours and Alexander the dog became unnaturally intelligent. What this means is something only Fullmetal knows, I think."

"So, okay, nii-san's partly a chimera and he's been keeping it from everyone, but it happened months ago!" Alphonse said. "Why would this have anything to do with him being kidnapped?"

"Because the man who I believe is responsible was not only on the investigation team and heard the full story, but a few months ago he stole the file about the failed experiment and has since been in hiding," Mustang said grimly. "I only found out a few days ago."

"And you believe he took Edward to further his experiments," Hawkeye said, understanding.

"Exactly."

"Then we have to find him!" Alphonse burst out. "What if he makes nii-san into a full chimera?"

"Sir, do you have any evidence that Edward was taken?" Hawkeye asked.

"Just this," Mustang said, pulling a piece of cloth from his pocket. "It was dropped on the ground and has been doused in chloroform. That and the fact that Fullmetal would have come straight to me and back if he promised to do so, yet he is currently missing."

"And if we're just jumping to conclusions?" Hawkeye asked; she hated to have to ask it, but there was a possibility, however slight it was, that the situation wasn't as dire as they were thinking it was.

Mustang paused for a moment, but his hand clenched around the cloth.

"And if we're not?" he countered after a moment. "Are we really going to stand here and debate it?"

"I'm just saying that we need to be sure, sir," Hawkeye said.

"I agree with the colonel," Alphonse offered. "Nii-san would have been there and back by now because he always keeps his word."

"Maybe he did get lost," Mustang conceded. "Maybe he was just wandering around and he managed to stop thinking about where he was going. But I would feel a lot better if I knew that for sure, so I'll send out search teams."

"For who, sir?" asked Breda, poking his head into the room.

"Fullmetal," Mustang said, turning instantly to face the three men at the door. "He has gone missing and I have reason to believe that he has been kidnapped."

"Are you sure anyone would want to try?" Falman asked wryly. "The kid would put up one hell of a fight."

Silently Mustang held out the cloth and all amusement on Falman's face disappeared as he took it gingerly and gave a tentative sniff. Grave eyes looked up from it, understanding the situation instantly.

"There was no sign of Edward on base, sir," said Fuery, stepping forward. "There were a few people that had been outside and they didn't seem him out there, either."

"Very well, I would like the three of you to mobilise some soldiers and scour the area around headquarters for some clue as to where he has gone," Mustang ordered. "Do not tell any civilians who you are looking for... I have no doubt the news will get out soon enough if Fullmetal really has been kidnapped."

"Right under all our noses, too," Breda grimaced. "Do you know who it might have been?"

"Perhaps," said Mustang vaguely. "That can wait until the search is complete. Dismissed."

Falman, Breda and Fuery snapped a salute and left, no doubt to organise the search Mustang had just ordered, worried about the safety of their young superior officer. Mustang turned slowly back to Hawkeye and Alphonse.

"Now what?" Alphonse asked tentatively.

"Now we hope to god that we find him," Mustang said grimly. "Because the alternative is not something I want to consider."

**Next Chapter;** Edward awakens to find himself in a cell somewhere he doesn't recognise. Alphonse wonders how he can be so useless right at such a critical time.

**Thanks to;**

Ryoko Yuki, WainGuy, PallasField, manga-animelove, RenCC123, Kame-tan, jazflower, AnimexoverCartoons and bloodynessie

You guys brighten my day with your reviews!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer;** I unfortunately do not own anything from Fullmetal Alchemist. Just the psychotic, kidnapping scientist.

**A/N; **I swear I do have an excuse! See, I was so busy with university work (and so stressed over it too) that everything that I've been working on was pushed to the back burner before I'd realized it. I just hadn't had the time to write anything. Now that I'm off university for the year, however, I'm hoping to get much more done! I'm so sort for the wait everyone, but I hope this chapter makes up for it, and I'll definitely have the next one up soon too.

**Warning; **Spoilers for the end of Fullmetal Alchemist; Brotherhood and the manga. Last time I say this because the only spoiler is the one I've mentioned over and over again over these four chapters; everything else is completely AU.

**Chapter Four;**

Edward came to slowly.

At first he wasn't aware of anything except the fact that, strangely enough, he was lying awkwardly on his side on a very hard floor. Frowning inwardly he lay still, trying to make sense of this odd situation. The last thing he remembered was being at the hospital, helping Alphonse walk down to the cafeteria.

Wait! No, he did remember more than that. They had met Lieutenant Hawkeye down there and she had joined them for lunch, if what they had been served could be called food. And she had told him that Mustang had wanted to see him, hadn't she? The man was worried about the file on the Tucker case having been stolen and Edward had left immediately, hoping to find out what was going on.

And then? Well, Edward couldn't remember just now, but whatever had happened had ended up with him lying semi-conscious on a cold, stone floor. _'And bound,'_ he added drowsily as he tried to move his arms and became aware of the scratchy rope tying his wrists together.

For a moment he gazed dazedly at the opposite wall. Then full conscious slammed back into him with the force of a brick, along with the memory of being ambushed in the alleyway. He tried to move his arms again, this time more fiercely, only to find that they had been bound very tightly, almost cutting off circulation. His feet, his boots gone, had been treated in a similar manner.

'_Idiots,'_ he thought contemptuously. _'Obviously they've forgotten who I am.'_

Twisting his wrists slightly he clapped awkwardly. It was only then, when nothing happened, that the realisation that he had been without alchemy since the final battle with Father came back to him; whoever had done this hadn't forgotten who he was after all. And it looked like he wasn't going to be able to untie himself so easily.

'_Damn it, now what?'_

Frowning he pulled on the ropes, trying to find a weak point that he could break or a knot that he could pull apart. But whoever had tied them had left nothing to chance; the rope was strong and his fumbling fingers could not find a knot. Edward cursed the loss of his automail arm then, because with it he could have broken these ropes in a cinch.

But then... he still had a metal leg, didn't he? Triumphantly he tried to move it, only to find that instead of moving smoothly it was only responding jerkily to his neural commands, and it kept going limp every few seconds. Had someone messed with the wiring? Winry would kill them if they had, and then kill him for allowing it.

With a frustrated growl he pulled himself into a sitting position and finally opened his eyes so he could take a good look at his surroundings. What he saw did nothing to enthuse him to his current situation.

The place he was imprisoned in was nothing more than a dank, dimly lit cave, a heavily barred door guarding the entrance, a flickering flame the only source of light or heat available. Edward could definitely not feel any warmth if it was here and as this thought occurred to him he shivered, drawing his knees uncomfortably to his chest, his hands scraping against the hard, rocky wall he was leaning slightly on.

Apart from the sound of his own movements Edward could hear nothing else but the ringing sound of silence. He began to wonder where his captor was; had he been left here while whoever it was went about their daily life? As awful as this was, he would have felt a little better if he knew exactly who they were.

Still, the silence told him that he had nothing to do but sit and wait until they got back and decided what to do with him. What that was he didn't know... he didn't even know _why_ he was here.

It wasn't that hard to guess, though, and Edward knew his guesses were usually spot on for the most part. After all, it was too coincidental that he had been kidnapped right after he found out the file had been stolen.

It was more than likely the person that had stolen it that had ambushed him and left him here, and Edward hated to think what they wanted. Were they going to blackmail him with information that very few knew about? Or were they as psychotically crazy as Tucker and were looking for a guinea pig?

Uneasily Edward glanced at the door, ignoring the shiver that went down his spine at the very thought. He was no one's guinea pig; if they wanted to experiment on him then they'd have to knock him out.

A small, unwanted voice in the back of his mind whispered that that probably wouldn't be much of a problem. He pushed it away angrily, giving the ropes another tug; he felt helpless, a feeling that he detested. He couldn't believe that he had allowed himself to be captured so easily,

Whoever it was, though, had planned it all out fairly well. They had obviously known the full details about what had happened beforehand, they knew where the file was since they had stolen it, which made it likely that it was someone who either was, or had been, in the military. Possibly even someone who had been involved in the investigation in the first place, as much as Edward hated to think about the possibility of such a betrayal.

On top of that they had waited until now to strike. Edward was almost defenceless right now; alchemy was still one of his first choices for combat and he lost precious seconds when he remembered that he didn't have it anymore. He was also trying to get used to the fact that his arm wasn't metal anymore; annoyed at his hovering Alphonse had thrown a plate at him a week ago and, instead of ducking, Edward had gone to block it with his arm, forgetting that it was flesh. The result had been that he needed bandages and having to comfort a guilty Alphonse.

But, he couldn't really blame either of them for the incident. Both Edward and Alphonse needed to adjust to their new lives. Alphonse had been a suit of armour for over three years and alchemy had been Edward's entire life since he was little. They weren't going to simply forget the lessons those things had taught them any time soon.

Someone knew all this, and that was why they had waited until now. Which was good, in a way, because it meant that they didn't try this (with the remotest possibility of succeeding) when Edward was needed for the Promised Day. But it was also bad because they had tried this (with a _far_ higher chance of success) right when he was at his most vulnerable.

He supposed he could be grateful that everyone would notice straight away. When he didn't turn up at Headquarters Mustang would probably ask Hawkeye and Alphonse where he was and, upon realising that he was missing, would send out a search. He would be found in no time!

Right?

This was supposing, naturally, that Mustang and his men were competent enough to find him. The derisive thought made him feel better, though that didn't stop the lingering, tiny doubt that he could be found... how well hidden was he, anyway?

No, he couldn't think that, he had to believe that Mustang or Hawkeye or Alphonse would find him. And if they couldn't find him then he would punch the bastards that thought they could keep _him_ imprisoned and make his escape.

'_But what if...?'_

The sudden sound of a clang startled Edward from his thoughts and he sat up straight. There was silence and then the sound of careful footsteps coming closer.

Had he not moved around as much Edward possibly could have lay back down and pretended that he was still unconscious. But he couldn't be sure of exactly where he had been laying, nor in exactly what position so he didn't bother.

It wasn't in his nature to hide, anyway. Edward would not pretend his was asleep like some coward, he would face this person head on and demand answers. Just because he was the one tied up didn't mean he was completely helpless, and he wasn't afraid to show that.

The footsteps moved agonisingly slowly as though the person making them was straining to hear any sound before they proceeded. Edward wouldn't give them that satisfaction. He waited silently, half hidden in the shadows of his corner.

Finally there was the sound of keys and, with a click, the door swung inwards. Without intending to Edward tensed as a man strode into the room.

He was tall and the light of the candle sent shadows flickering across his sharp features. The smallest niggling sense of familiarity made Edward frown; he had seen this man before, perhaps even met him, but where? A moment later the thought became unimportant; he could get his answers in a moment.

A small smirk played on thin lips as the man looked down at Edward in the way a predator might look at their captive prey. Edward tried to draw himself up slightly, but he could admit, somewhat reluctantly, that even standing he would still be shorter against the tall man.

"So," said the man, his voice breaking the silence that had hung between them. "You're finally awake."

"Yeah, what of it?" Edward asked rudely. "And who the hell are you, anyway?"

"I have great plans for you, Edward Elric," the man said with a dark chuckle, ignoring his prisoner. "You'll be the success I have so far failed to achieve."

As Edward looked into maniacal eyes he felt, though he would never admit it, a very small stab of fear.

FMAFMAFMA

Alphonse found himself alone, staring at the ceiling of his room.

It hadn't been that long ago that Hawkeye and Mustang had left him, anxious about Edward's disappearance and the lack of news the longer the search went on. Eventually they had decided to join the search themselves and, after reminding him that Edward would kill him if he pushed himself before he was ready, dashed out with the knowledge that he was under the watchful eyes of the doctors.

Which was all very well and good; Alphonse trusted Mustang and his crew very much with just about anything. When it came to Edward's safety, however? Well, Edward wasn't the only overprotective one in the family and it was almost killing Alphonse to be lying here and doing nothing when his last remaining family member was who knew where.

But he could barely walk down to the cafeteria by himself let alone walk the streets of Central, so he would only be a liability. He was starting to fully appreciate how Havoc had felt when he couldn't walk anymore.

But at least Havoc had still managed to find a way to make himself useful, and Alphonse had heard that he was undergoing physical therapy which was working wonders. He was moving forward, and he probably could do even more to help Edward then Alphonse could right now.

'_Useless. Utterly useless.'_

When was the last time Alphonse had felt like this? It had been a long time. The last memory of this feeling of helplessness had been when Scar had been about to kill Edward, who had all but laid his life down to save his little brother. And before that? It had been directly after the transmutation when he had been forced to watch Edward degenerate into depression until Mustang had arrived.

Now that they were back to normal (for the most part; Edward was still missing a leg and now his alchemy) Alphonse had thought he wouldn't have to feel like this anymore. Edward couldn't be part of the military anymore and they had been excitedly planning a trip back to Risembool to surprise Winry and Granny Pinako.

So much for that; with Edward missing it would likely be awhile before they would be able to return back to Risembool. Not that Alphonse could bring himself to care right now. Finding Edward was first on the agenda.

The thought of Risembool reminded him, however, that not only did the Rockbells not yet know Alphonse was back in his body, but he doubted anyone would have thought to tell them that Edward, who was as good as family to them, was missing. They did deserve to know, it would only be right to tell them.

As Alphonse reached for the button that would call a nurse he ignored the voice that was telling him that they had never bothered to call them before when Edward was injured, and he was only bothering now because he wanted – needed - someone to be here with him.

The nurse came rushing in almost instantly, as though she was sitting beside the alarm waiting for him to press it. When she saw that he was still lying there calmly she pulled up short.

"Is there anything you need?" she asked.

"I need to get to the phone," Alphonse said firmly.

"I'm not sure..."

"I'll be fine if you use a wheelchair to take me," Alphonse pointed out. Then he pulled out the puppy dog eyes. "Please? My big brother's missing and I need to phone someone about it."

The nurse instantly melted and it didn't take long before Alphonse was sitting in the highly uncomfortable wheelchair (how had Edward sat in one of these things and never complained?) and being pushed out into the hallway. No one looked around as they made their way to the public phone; Alphonse was simply another patient here.

"Here we are," said the nurse, pulling him to a stop beside the phone. "Would you like me to leave you to your phone call for a moment?"

"Yes, please," said Alphonse, grateful that she was willing to leave him alone for a few minutes.

As his fingers dialled the familiar number Alphonse wondered what he was going to say. By the time the phone was ringing he still hadn't come up with anything.

"Rockbell residence," came a feminine voice.

"Winry?" Alphonse asked cautiously. "It's Alphonse."

There was a pause. And then... "Al! Are you alright? I'm so glad to hear from you!"

"Sorry, Winry, we should have called sooner," Alphonse said with a sheepish laugh.

"Is everything alright? Are you coming down soon?"

"Well, we were, but something came up," Alphonse said, hesitating. Was it alright to tell her this news over the phone?

"Oh, the promised day stuff, right? I heard that rogue soldiers attempted to take over Central headquarters and Fuhrer Bradley died during the fight. I bet Edward was fighting, wasn't he?"

"Yes, he was, but..."

"Of course he was. And I bet he needs his automail fixed and was too chicken to tell me himself, right? Well, I'm coming up there right now, and he'll be sorry when I see him! You tell him that for me, Al. See you soon!"

"Wait, Winry...!"

But it was too late, the girl had already hung up the phone, too caught up in thoughts about Edward having broken his automail _again_. Normally this actually would be the case, but today it couldn't be further from the truth.

Alphonse sighed and hung up the phone, unable to help rolling his eyes. Well, she would just have to find out for herself when she got here, then.

"Are you done?" asked the nurse, turning the corner.

"Yeah," Alphonse said with a small smile.

"I hope your friend wasn't too upset," the nurse said as she began to wheel Alphonse away. "It's always sad when you don't know what's happened to someone you care about."

"I'm sure nii-san will be just fine," Alphonse said with more conviction than he actually felt.

"I'm sure he will be too," said the nurse unconvincingly. "The military will find him; after all, it wouldn't look good for the hero of the people to have been taken right under their noses."

Alphonse remembered one of my Mustang's men saying something similar, and realised that it definitely wouldn't look good for the military if anyone found that out. Someone currently under the full protection of the military had gone missing, and it wasn't just anyone. It was Edward Elric, former Fullmetal Alchemist and the one the people still looked up to and admired. If news of his disappearance hit the streets there would be an uproar.

These thoughts carried Alphonse all the way back to his room. He was so deep in his thoughts, however, that it wasn't until the nurse stopped that he realised that his room was no longer empty.

Mustang had returned from him search, looking tired and frustrated. Just that alone was enough to tell Alphonse that he hadn't had any luck.

"Colonel," he greeted heavily. "You didn't find my brother."

"I'm afraid not," said Mustang grimly as the nurse helped Alphonse back into bed and left. "The search is still going; but we are resigned to the fact that there is no sign of your brother anyway."

"Sir, I know nii-san," Alphonse said. "I wish he _had_ just wandered off somewhere, but that just isn't like him. He would have at least visited you and got a message sent to me before he did so."

"Believe me, I know," Mustang assured him. "Which leads me back to my first conclusion."

"He's been kidnapped."

"Yes."

For a moment the two sat in silence, Mustang slumped slightly in the chair beside Alphonse's bed. He looked wearier than Alphonse had ever seen him, and very distressed.

Of course he was, though. Mustang and Edward would deny it forever, but the two of them were actually friends. It was a very strange sort of friendship, based on petty insults and trying to get one over the other, but beneath all that there was mutual respect and concern over each other's lives. Many people wouldn't be able to understand it – Alphonse barely understood it himself sometimes – but that was just the way they worked.

"What's his name?" Alphonse asked after a long pause.

"Sorry?" Mustang asked, confused.

"The man you think kidnapped nii-san," Alphonse clarified. "What is his name?"

"Ryan Cooper," Mustang replied. "He was a lieutenant in the military, but has since been listed as a deserter... not long after what happened with Tucker, in fact. He had been part of Hughes' team, and I believe it had been his job to keep the records and file them. He would have known exactly where everything was."

"Do you think he filed the report, went back to steal it later and then fled?"

"It seems like the most likely plan. There hadn't been much of a report on Cooper; he had been a model soldier, respectful to his superiors, helping those of lower rank... there had been absolutely nothing to say that he would turn into a madmen that would steal a file about Tucker's case and then months later kidnap the Fullmetal Alchemist."

"Appearances can be deceiving," Alphonse said, lips twitching slightly.

"I'm sure we know that better than anyone, Alphonse," Mustang said, the smallest tinge of humour creeping into his voice.

"Well, I suppose if it's almost a sure bet that Cooper has nii-san, then you just need to figure out where they would be," Alphonse said.

"Ah, here is where I might need your help."

Alphonse instantly straightened. He had spent the entire time that he was alone thinking about how useless he currently was, but Mustang wanted his help with something? Maybe he could be of help in finding his brother after all.

"What can I do?" he asked eagerly.

"Currently we have decided that any place Cooper would take Fullmetal would be out of the way and unknown to the general populace," Mustang explained. "As soldiers it would also be rare for us to compile a large list of such places, but you and Fullmetal travelled all around Amestris, and most definitely know the ins and outs of Central."

"You want me to make a list of places that it might be good places to search?" Alphonse guessed.

"Not just list them, I want you to mark them on this map," Mustang corrected, pulling a folded bit of paper from his pocket and opening it to reveal a large map of Central. "Any place that seems even the slightest bit likely, no matter how remote the chance of Fullmetal actually being there. It could decrease our search time significantly."

"I'll do what I can, sir," Alphonse said determinedly.

As he took the pen Mustang offered him and set to work, wracking his mind for the memories of the seedier underground hideouts he and his brother and crept in and out of over the years, Alphonse decided that he still felt useless sitting in bed while everyone else was out there. But every little bit helped, and if he could help find his brother quicker than Mustang had anticipated then he would push those feelings aside and focus on the task at hand.

'_Hang on, nii-san,'_ he thought fiercely, carefully marking a likely spot. _'We won't be long in finding you.'_

**Next Chapter; **_Chapter Five – _Winry arrives in Central to find that a lot more has changed after the Promised Day then she had realized.

**Reviewers;**

Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers. I know I'd told most of you the next chapter would be out soon, and I hope you forgive me for accidently lying. Thanks for your amazing words;

**jazflower, Yiriiyu, AnimexoverCartoons, a writer of fics, Lady Gaga, RenofAmestris, manga-animelove, Joker Oak, WainGuy, Kame-tan, forgot fanfiction password, Anime Tenshi-Chan**

I just have to edit the next chapter and I'm hoping to have it out definitely by next week!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer;** I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist.

**A/N; **Happy New Year to everyone! A new chapter is my new years present for everyone who has kept with this story so far. Unfortunately work and university commitments have gotten in the way of more constant updates, but I am endeavoring to try and keep up a little better now that I'm on holidays. Hope you all enjoy this!

**Chapter Five;**

As the train pulled into Central station Winry clutched her suitcase determinedly, a scowl etched on her young face. With her blue eyes almost snapping angrily at everything and her overall tense demeanour it wasn't hard for most people to make the decision to move quickly out of her way.

It was not them or the rest of the world that she was scowling at, however, it was the mental image of the boy she was going to see. First he didn't bother calling her after the Promised Day to even tell her he was alive (she had gotten _that_ from various rumours her customers had told her, all of which ended with Edward beating whatever bad guy he was fighting) but then he got his brother to call her when his automail was broken!

How long had it even been since the Promised Day, anyway? It had to have been a few weeks; had he been going around with broken automail since then? Did he even know how dangerous that was?

Her scowl darkened at even the thought that Edward was putting himself in danger just because he hadn't wanted to receive her ire. Well, it was too bad then, because she was even angrier than before now!

"Miss Rockbell!"

The familiar voice rose over the crowds of people moving to and from the trains and she looked around to see Colonel Mustang standing apart from everyone else, waving to get her attention. As if he had to, however; even if he had been standing among a group he would have stood out with his natural confidence and, she had to admit, devilishly good looks.

"Colonel," she greeted as she pushed through the crowds to get to him. "I didn't realise Al had sent someone to pick me up."

"Alphonse mentioned you were coming, and I was the only one available to come and get you," Mustang explained. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Winry said with a smile. "Maybe you can give me the full story about what happened on the Promised Day. I've heard rumours, but nothing concrete."

"Exactly how we wanted it to be," Mustang said in satisfaction. "There are very few people who know the entire story, a few more who know how it all ended, and the rumours that you heard are likely from people who think they know but, in reality, do not."

Winry laughed as they left the station and walked to the black car parked near the entrance. Graciously Mustang held the door open for her and she slipped into the passenger seat, setting her bag at her feet.

"So what _did_ happen?" she asked as Mustang started the car. "All I know is that Ed thought it was dangerous enough to ask me to leave the country."

"I'm not surprised," Mustang commented, manoeuvring into the traffic. "It was touch and go at one point; we thought we had lost the entire country."

Winry vividly remembered the intense feeling of not being able to breath, of slowly suffocating on something she couldn't see. But it felt like she had only blacked out for a second before she was waking again with no idea what had just happened.

"Fullmetal's father had implemented a counter measure over the years, and when the homunculus who called himself Father, the man we were fighting, attempted to take the souls of everyone in Amestris Hohenheim activated it and stopped him," Mustang explained.

"That seems almost too easy," Winry commented.

"It was. The homunculus had taken into himself the great doors of truth; he had all but literally swallowed God, and he was powerful beyond imagining. He managed to hang onto almost every bit of it, and he stopped every attack we threw at him." Mustang hesitated. "Most of what I know is from things I heard, or from the others who were there, so I'm not the most reliable source."

"What do you mean?"

"I was blind the entire time."

"_What_?"

"It is the price of going through the gate," Mustang said with a humourless smile. "The homunculi and their allies forced me through so I could be the fifth sacrifice."

"You can see well now," Winry noted.

"Dr Marcoh helped me with that."

Winry glanced at him, wondering what he wasn't telling her. She decided she didn't really want to know after a moment and turned her mind back to the story he was telling.

"I'm guessing Ed and Al were sacrifices," she said. "Who were the others?"

"Apart from the three of us there was also Hohenheim and Fullmetal's teacher, Izumi Curtis. It is because we all went through the gate. Hohenheim arrived on his own, as Fullmetal told me, Fullmetal, Alphonse and Izumi were pulled there and then the scientist who created the homunculus Wrath forced me through."

"So, you obviously fought him?"

"Of course." Mustang smirked. "Even I wasn't completely useless. It was Fullmetal, however, who ended up sending the homunculus to the gate. He also defeated Pride and..." He paused. "Alphonse has asked me to leave this part of the story to him. There are things that he wishes to tell you. Suffice to say that Fullmetal was the hero of this battle."

Winry couldn't help but feel proud of her friend. Then her smile faded. "Was he hurt?"

"A little battered, but overall fine."

"Did his automail break?"

Again Mustang hesitated. "Not exactly, no."

Winry shot him a suspicious look, but didn't push. It was obviously one of those things that Alphonse and Edward wanted to tell her about.

"I assumed I was here to fix Ed's automail," she admitted.

"Alphonse did mention that," said Mustang, amused. "He was a little exasperated that you didn't let him explain before you hung up on him." Winry blushed. "No, you are not here to fix Fullmetal's automail. We hope, anyway."

"You hope?" Winry asked, puzzled. "What does that mean?"

"This is something that Alphonse and I must tell you together," Mustang said quietly.

Something was definitely going on here. First was the call from Alphonse, then there were gaps in Mustang's story that apparently only Alphonse and Edward could explain, and now the reason she was even here seemed like it was something that Mustang, Alphonse and Edward had to tell her together...

'_No. Wait.'_

Mustang had never mentioned anything about _Edward_ explaining it. It had only been Alphonse and himself that were going to tell her everything. The sudden realisation of this became a yawning gap that Winry felt inexplicably nervous about.

"We are nearly there," Mustang said, breaking in her thoughts.

Winry looked up, expecting to see Central military headquarters. What she _wasn't_ expecting (and, really, she probably should have) was the sight of the hospital she had visited once before.

"The hospital?" she asked numbly and turned to Mustang angrily. "You said Edward wasn't hurt?"

"He isn't."

"Then why are we...?"

Mustang pulled into a parking space and turned the car off. Winry was beginning to feel very frustrated with the lack of answers.

"You'll see," the man said cryptically. "Alphonse should be waiting for us inside."

Hopelessly confused Winry grabbed her suitcase and slipped out of the car, hurrying after Mustang as they entered the hospital. They did not, however, make for the waiting room, so Winry could only assume Alphonse was visiting his brother.

"It isn't far," Mustang said. "Ah, here we are."

They stopped in front of a closed door. Winry looked a little nervously up at Mustang (despite what the man said about Edward not being hurt there had to be _something_ wrong if they were visiting him at the hospital), who smiled back down at her.

"After you, Miss Rockbell," he said.

Winry squared her shoulders determinedly, mentally preparing herself for whatever she might find in there. Opening the door she marched inside, sure that she could handle it.

No mental preparation in the world, however, would have helped her with what she saw in that room.

"Winry," Alphonse greeting, looking up from his book. She could hear the amusement in his voice, as though he knew exactly what was going through her mind at that moment. "It's been awhile. Thanks for coming."

But he wasn't sitting sternly and forbidding in the metal suit of armour beside Edward's bed. He was sitting _in_ the bed, whole and human – Winry was barely aware of her trembling hand covering her mouth – and looking just like an older version of the boy she remembered.

"A-Al..." she whispered.

"That's me," Alphonse said, beaming.

Winry dropped her suitcase and practically threw herself across the room, all but squeezing the life out of the younger boy, barely conscious of the tears of joy that slipped down her cheeks. Alphonse laughed and flailed slightly.

"Hey, I just got this body back, look after it," he joked.

"Al, I can't believe it's really you!" she exclaimed, pulling back, grinning widely. "This is... it's amazing!"

"I can thank nii-san for that," Alphonse said with a smile. "He went to the gate and pulled me back from it."

"Really?" Winry asked, eyes widening. "He did that?" A thought struck her. "Did he... have to...?"

"Give anything up?" Alphonse guessed. "Yeah, he did." He smiled slightly. "He gave up alchemy in order to get me back."

Winry sat in the chair next to the bed in shock. Edward gave up alchemy? It seemed almost too preposterous to be true. Then again, when he had affixed Alphonse's soul to the armour he had been willing to give up his life for his brother. In retrospect alchemy was such a small thing to let go of for the sibling Edward loved.

"Wow..." she said, amazed. A thought struck her and she looked around. "Hey... where is he, anyway?"

It was hard not to notice how the atmosphere in the room suddenly became darker, sadder. With a sigh Mustang snapped the door closed and made his way to Alphonse's bed.

"Currently we do not know," he said.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Winry asked. "Surely Ed wouldn't run off just after Alphonse got his body back? He can be selfish sometimes... but not _that_ selfish!"

Alphonse gave Winry a look, which made her feel a little guilty for the lie she had just told. Edward always gave off the appearance of being selfish because he could be so incredibly arrogant sometimes, but he was truly one of the most selfless people she knew. There weren't many others who would give up a limb and more to save someone else, no matter how close they were.

"Fullmetal did not just wander off," Mustang said firmly, drawing the attention of both teens back to him. "We believe he has been kidnapped."

Winry stared. For a moment she half expected one of them to suddenly break out laughing and tell her they were joking. But when they both stared back seriously she knew that wasn't going to happen.

"Who..." she began, blinking. "Who would want to kidnap _Ed_?"

"I can think of a few people," Alphonse said wryly.

"So what's the problem?" Winry asked, nonplussed. "He'll kick up a fuss and either free himself or attract attention to where he is. Right?"

The glance Mustang and Alphonse shared told her she was missing something vital. Uneasily Winry looked between them. They couldn't be serious, right? Edward Elric was a living, breathing human weapon, even sans alchemy, and he was vicious enough when he was in a good mood. When he was angry there was nothing that could save them from his vengeance if he felt someone had done wrong by him. Even if he _had_ been kidnapped the people that had done it were pretty much taking their lives into their own hands.

So why were Mustang and Alphonse looking so grim and serious? For all her confidence in the outcome she was feeling anxious at just the thought that there was something more.

"What we are about to tell you, Miss Rockbell, goes no further than this room," Mustang said slowly. "Fullmetal is the only one who can confirm or deny the details, but we have a pretty good guess as to what is happening. It all dates back to the research Shou Tucker was doing into talking chimera."

"Oh, I heard about this on the radio," Winry said with a nod. "He killed his own wife and then two years later he attempted it again on a boy I think they said; apparently he almost killed the kid."

"Right," Alphonse said. "What no one ever told you was that Edward was that kid."

"_What?_"

Winry was sure her mouth was hanging open. It seemed preposterous that the story she had listened to and shook her head over at the time actually hit far closer to home than she had realised. Edward had almost died a few months ago?

"To cut a long story short we burst in before the transmutation was finished, but it still did something," Alphonse continued when Winry didn't say anything else. "Alexander, the dog you would have heard about, is unnaturally smart. And nii-san has a few _canine_ tendencies. Or, had. He's been hiding them, we think."

"Fullmetal came up with the theory that the mind merges first during the creation of the chimera, which then drags the bodies along," Mustang said. "We believe – and we think Fullmetal may have already reached this conclusion – that the failed experiment actually succeeded in partially merging the two, passing along certain characteristics. Exactly what Fullmetal got we don't know because he seems to have caught on quickly and hid all signs that anything was even remotely different."

"So... you think someone is interested in the experiment?" Winry asked slowly.

"There's a man named Ryan Cooper, he stole the file that actually names nii-san as the victim and then he disappeared," Alphonse explained. "He may have taken nii-san to continue his experiments or try and work out went wrong with his experiments."

"He is currently our top suspect," Mustang said with a frown. "We do have others, consisting mainly of disgruntled generals, but Cooper fits the bill more nicely than any of the others. He has a hideout away from civilisation, he's been underground for months and we have had no contact with him, and he has a motive, no matter how mad it seems." He frowned. "We will have to hurry and find Fullmetal."

"Would he even still be in Central?" Winry asked, frowning.

"At the moment we sincerely hope so," Mustang said. "We are banking on the fact that Cooper had to be within the city to keep an eye on what was going on, which is why we believe he chose now to act, and that it would be extremely difficult to get out of the city with Fullmetal since everyone knows what he looks like."

"I suppose that's one thing to be grateful for..."

"Don't worry, Winry, we've already narrowed down the city to places Cooper would be likely to hide out," Alphonse said with a small smile, indicating the map that she suddenly noticed was sitting on his bed. "All that would remain is to search."

"We're trying to keep this quiet, but we're not sure how long we'll manage," Mustang said with a grimace. "So don't talk to anyone about it just yet."

Alphonse suddenly stilled, opening and then closing his mouth as if he had suddenly remembered something. Mustang blinked at him and he gazed back sheepishly.

"Al?" Winry asked.

"I might have told the nurse my brother was missing when I asked her if I could make a phone call," Alphonse muttered.

Mustang closed his eyes and sighed gustily. "I guess it can't be helped, then. Eventually the people will know Edward Elric is missing. On the bright side it might mean more people keeping an eye out for him."

"Sorry," Alphonse said, scratching the back of his neck.

"I will leave the two of you to catch up now," Mustang said, shaking his head. "Alphonse, Miss Rockbell still has yet to hear what happened at the end of the Promised Day, I suggest you bring her up to speed. I will go and organise search parties."

"Right," Alphonse said with a nod.

"Thank you," Winry added.

The two teenagers watched him leave for a moment and then Alphonse turned toward Winry determinedly. She bit her lip; she desperately wanted to know what else had happened on the Promised Day, but she couldn't get the idea of Edward missing out of her head.

"Well... why don't you tell me what Mustang has already told you?" Alphonse offered.

Winry sighed and decided she would think about it later.

"He mentioned Ed beating Pride and the homunculus, but he didn't say how..."

FMAFMAFMA

It was decided that Winry would stay with Gracia and Elysia, both of whom were pleased to see her. Gracia was a much sadder woman than Winry remembered and even Elysia seemed more subdued, but she supposed that was what happened when someone lost a loved one.

'_What if I lose Ed?'_ she wondered as she curled up in the bed Gracia had offered to her, staring unseeingly at the wall. _'What will happen then?'_

She forced these thoughts away, not wanting to deal with the thought that Edward might not be coming back to them. Mustang had already started the search and Alphonse was directing them to likely places. It would truly only be a matter of time before they found him.

'_But what if...?'_

She scowled at herself in the darkness. What had happened to her previous confidence that Edward was going to be okay? The blonde alchemist (ex-alchemist, she reminded herself) had been through so much, and this was relatively simply compared to everything that had happened on the Promised Day. If he could beat an all-powerful, god-like homunculus then surely he could kick his kidnapper into the middle of next week.

Unbidden Alphonse's voice rose in her mind, sounding resigned because she had forced him to talk about Edward's disappearance after he had told her everything about the Promised Day.

"_Normally nii-san wouldn't have any problems fighting anyone off, but I think we were all reveling in the peace and we weren't expecting any attacks. On top of that nii-san's vulnerable right now. He isn't used to having a flesh arm, and his alchemy is gone. Whoever took him chose the right moment to act."_

She closed her eyes tightly, trying to blink away the tears that came to her eyes, but she couldn't prevent one or two from slipping down her cheeks. _'You promised!'_ she thought fiercely. _'You promised next time you made me cry they would be tears of happiness...'_

With a muffled sob she buried under her covers. They had to find Edward soon.

They just had to.

**Next Chapter; **_Chapter Six; _After being left to his own devices Edward executes an escape plan, not realizing that that was what Cooper wanted. In his bid for freedom he stumbles upon the horrifying reality of the situation he has found himself in.

**Thanks to;**

saki-nee, Lazy Gaga, Yiriiyu, and Roaming Shadow 213

Thanks also to everyone who is taking the time to read my stories. I might not always be the promptest of updaters, but I always get there. Unfortunately this story is taking a little longer to write than _Truth Behind Lies_, but I swear I will finish it and hopefully as soon as possible. Merry Christmas to all of you and heres to the new year!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer;** Unfortunately _Fullmetal Alchemist _belongs to Hiromu Arakawa, lucky woman that she is. I only own the psychotic little characters that torture hers.

**A/N; **Yikes, two months longer than I thought this would take. Unfortunately with work and university, and still suffering writer's block it has been incredibly hard to get this chapter out the way I wanted it to be. Still, this chapter is fairly long, which I hope is a concession, and I've almost finished the next one, so fingers crossed that that one will be out soon too!

**Warning;** Just a warning that the end of this chapter may be slightly disturbing. It doesn't quite cross into horror and gore, but it does have disturbing aspects to it.

**Chapter Six;**

Later Edward would not be able to say exactly how much time passed, though to him it seemed like it had been hours upon hours. But he did know that the kidnapper had made the very foolish decision of leaving him alone.

Not for nothing had Edward once been called the legendary Fullmetal Alchemist. He may not really be part of the military any more, and alchemy itself may have abandoned him, but the sheer stubbornness and determination that the people had come to associate with that name remained. Fullmetal was simply a title, but Edward Elric was a strong, resilient person, and he _would not_ sit docilely as someone tried to use him for some pathetic scheme.

As soon as his kidnapper disappeared, locking the door behind him, Edward moved, shuffling as close to the rocky wall as possible, groping around until his finger caught on some sort of sharp edge that jutted out. Ignoring the throbbing pain that began to settle in the appendage Edward moved his bound hands to the sharp rock and started to saw at the rope.

It was not an easy thing to do. More than once he slipped, jarring his elbow or a wrist and, once, cutting into his palm. The ropes burned around his wrists, chafing at the skin. But even ending up a mass of bruises and lacerations was worth it when the rope finally gave way and he could pull his hands apart. From there it was easy to untie his legs and stand, clutching the wall as his faulty automail leg wobbled underneath him.

That was going to be a definite hindrance, and Edward cursed his kidnapper, not for the first or last time. It was going to be exceptionally difficult to move around like this, but as long as he was quiet and subtle he would be okay.

He ignored the mental image of Mustang that smirked and asked if he was even _capable_ of being quiet and subtle.

Getting through the locked door was hardly problematic at all, which, under other, less desperate, circumstances might have been a little concerning. All it took was one quick, hard hit with a rock and the incredible ancient lock crumbled to pieces. Grinning triumphantly and ignoring the little voice that was warning him that this was far too easy Edward swung the door open and dragged himself out into the dank, dimly lit corridor.

'_I'll be out of here in no time!'_ he thought confidently, moving in a random direction; how hard could it be to find an exit in this place? He had travelled the length and breadth of Amestris, navigating through here would be a cinch!

Half an hour later Edward was forced to come to a halt and conclude that it was far harder than he had thought it would be.

Every single wall was the exact same shade of smooth grey; meaning there were no landmarks anywhere. Not a dent, not a scorch, not even bits of rock scattered on the ground. Nothing. Many paths had led to a dead end, forcing Edward to turn around and take another, futile direction. When he tried to find a way back to his cell (he had decided that he could use one of the rocks that were in there to try and scratch the walls and mark his way) he found, instead, that he was utterly lost and he didn't know which way he was going. More than once he suspected that he had gone around in a wide circle, but couldn't prove it.

On top of that there were no doors, no windows, no anything. The only door he knew of was his cell door, and he had left that behind long ago. No windows also meant that either his kidnapper hated sunlight or they were underground; as much as Edward would have preferred to think it was the first one he was becoming increasingly sure that it was the latter.

"Damn it!" he cursed aloud, frustrated and swiftly losing patience. Quiet and subtle had long since gone out the non-existent windows. "Where's the exit?"

His voice echoed in the empty corridors and Edward at least had the presence of mind to wince at the sound. Then again he hadn't attracted any unwarranted attention yet... Growling in the back of his throat and not knowing any other way to express his annoyance at this situation he hit his fist against the nearest wall.

Of course, this wasn't exactly the smartest thing to do. Many a time, when he was frustrated or irritated, he had punched the nearest vertical surface as hard as possible with his automail arm. And, like many of his other habits, this one was so ingrained that it happened before he remembered that he no longer had an automail arm.

He hissed in pain and cursed, just barely holding in a yell as he cradled his bruised knuckles to his chest. Damn it, this was getting him nowhere! At least if the kidnapper found him he could try and over power the man and find out what he knew...

Speaking of, it _was_ a little odd that the man hadn't turned up yet. Edward paused, blinking down the corridor. Was the kidnapper just not here at the moment? Had he left after he had spoken to Edward? As good as that was for him it did leave him in a bit of a predicament; he knew next to nothing about the man who had taken him and he had half hoped that when he escaped he could take some information back to Mustang.

But what if he hadn't left? What if he was right now watching Edward's every move, snickering over his attempts to escape?

A cold chill ran down Edward's spine at the very thought and he couldn't help but shiver, creeped out just by the thought. Suddenly this giant complex seemed incredibly sinister, as did how alone he currently was. No matter how hard he listened, however, he could hear nothing over the sound of his own breathing and the pounding of his heart.

'_You're being stupid,'_ he reprimanded himself, forcing himself to relax. There was no way the kidnapper was lurking in the hallways, watching him and waiting for the perfect moment to strike...

Still, as he continued on, Edward couldn't stop himself from looking around reflexively, making sure that no one was following him. His inner paranoia had raised its head and it would be some time before he could convince it that he was utterly alone.

Because he was. Right?

Edward gritted his teeth and pushed these thoughts away. They weren't helping him at all. He had bigger things to worry about than some phantom stalker.

Like the fact that his metal leg had just given a particularly threatening jerk, almost making him fall over. Damn it, where were Al and Mustang and everyone else when he really needed them? Of course, he would never wish for Alphonse to be back in that suit of armour, but he could guiltily think that this was one of those circumstances when it would sure come in good use.

As would alchemy for that matter. If he still had alchemy that all it would take was a simply clap to make another door. And with a – working – automail arm he may have punched straight through that wall just a moment ago.

No, no he wasn't allowed to think like that anymore. His alchemy and his metal arm were gone now. He would give up alchemy a million times over for Alphonse, so regretting its loss was pointless. What was done was done and now that the past was fixed he refused to let himself dwell on it any longer. He had to look only to the future now.

Edward sighed. Hopefully, now that he thought about it, Mustang had found Alphonse something to do that would keep him out of trouble. He wasn't fool enough to think that he could go missing and his recovering little brother would stay out of it completely. When it came to one of them being in trouble than Edward and Alphonse could be equally as stubborn as the other.

As long as he was safe than Edward wouldn't care if a thousand people kidnapped him. Alphonse's safety, even now, had always been his first priority... and he would make it his first priority to hit anyone that put his brother in danger the moment he escaped. Because he would escape; his baby brother was recovering and he needed to be there.

He was so deep in his musings that he actually passed it before what he had just seen registered and then clicked in his mind. Edward froze, blinked and then looked back, barely able to believe it.

A door!

Surely he was hallucinating? It was a stressful situation, and people had been known to hallucinate occasionally during such times. Edward rubbed his eyes, blinked some more and then looked at it again. No, it was definitely still there. After long corridors of never-ending grey it was incredibly surprising to suddenly see something else. The door, looking far more sturdy and secure than his cell door had been, was suddenly out of place and foreign.

Eventually he roused himself and crept closer to the door, unable to resist running his hand over the coarse, roughened wooden planks when he reached it. He was all of a sudden conscious of the amount of noise that he had been making on his way here; another door meant that someone else, in all likelihood his kidnapper, could be here.

Pressing his ear against the door didn't really tell him anything, either. There was no sound, but if someone was in there then any noise that they made would be incredibly muted anyway, and that was only _if_ they were making noise.

The smart option would be to simply leave this door and attempt to find another way out... but what if this was it? Perhaps this door led to the very exit that he had been seeking.

Besides which he had spent so long searching for another door that, now he was here, Edward very much wanted to know what was behind it.

Without even consciously telling himself to do it Edward slowly reached out and grasped the dull, burnished handle and turned it carefully. To his surprise it moved easily within in his hand and in moments the door was swinging open with only the slightest of creaks.

Warily the young blonde peered inside, his gold eyes darting quickly around the empty room and taking in any and all possible threats. But the only thing beyond the door was a surprisingly normal-looking study; a sturdy desk covered in papers sat in the middle of the room on a deep blue rug, bathed in the dim glow of a lamp that loomed over it. The chair was tucked neatly under the desk, a coat thrown carelessly over the back of it. A set of shelves sat against the wall with a very small collection of books stacked on them.

Most importantly, however, in Edward's mind, was another wooden door on the opposite side of the room and the tantalising hint of daylight he could see through the cracks.

He was close!

Unfortunately Edward's excitement was not enough to keep him from pausing at the desk on his way to the door. After all, he knew absolutely nothing about his kidnapper and, as he had remembered before, Mustang would want to know everything he could tell him. It would be very embarrassing to escape and have to admit that he didn't actually know anything. And maybe there would be some sort of clue as to why he was even here.

Satisfied with his own reasoning Edward nodded to himself and grabbed the nearest bit of paper.

But it was shocking to find, instead of some sort diagram or research notes, a copy of the very report that he had read and pursued all those months ago when he had investigated Shou Tucker's strange behaviour and the poor human chimera he had created out of his wife. It was a copy of the report of Tucker's first State Alchemist exam and... yes, there it was, the scientist's damning report on the experiment.

Why was this here?

The next paper he picked up was a military profile and Edward instantly recognised the man in the attached photo as his kidnapper. _'Lieutenant Ryan Cooper,' _he mused, wracking his mind for why that name sounded so familiar to him. Wait... hadn't that been the name of one of the men that had been working on the investigation into the incident involving Edward and Tucker? So, it wasn't just some random person that had stolen military files, he had actually had access to them.

Sure enough the next file was the report about the incident, including all the eyewitness statements, Tucker's limited confession before his death and Edward's own interview. He skimmed it for a moment, eyes travelling over the familiar words, and then he put it aside, feeling a little ill as he remembered what had been done to him.

But that still begged the question of why it was here on all places. Why had Cooper stolen this report and Tucker's exam file? It made Edward uneasy and he distractedly grabbed the another piece of paper. This one was a newspaper clipping dated around three months previously.

_**Military Deserter and Missing Secrets**_

_**What Lieutenant Ryan Cooper took and why the military is in an uproar**_

_The sudden disappearance of Lieutenant Ryan Cooper, aged thirty-six and with no immediate family, was at first unremarked upon and hushed up by the higher ups of military command. After the damning accusations against, and preceding prosecution and death of, Shou Tucker only recently it would make sense that the high chain of command would prefer that no further debilitating actions by military officers came to light. The first mention of Cooper's no proven desertion, in fact, was an offhand comment made by one of his colleagues a week ago, sparking interest in the disappearance._

"_Lieutenant Cooper is always on time and he's very dedicated to his investigations," said the unnamed soldier. "It doesn't make any sense that he would just up and disappear like this without telling anyone."_

_However after careful questions and observations the truth has finally come out. Cooper fled the military of his own will, and took with his some of the military's secrets._

_Currently it is unknown what these secrets actually involve, but is has been speculated that something to do with Tucker's research was taken..._

Edward stopped there, scowling. He already knew that, he was staring at the proof of it right now. But why had Cooper kept this? Still, it did give him some sort of timeframe of when these things had happened. Around three months ago the reports about Edward's near miss with Tucker had been stolen by Cooper, who had been on the investigations squad at the time.

What all these reports _didn't_ say, however, was why Cooper had taken Edward months after all this had occurred. What had changed that had prompted the man to come after him now, of all times?

'_I'm vulnerable now.'_

The unwilling thought flicked through his mind and, despite how harshly Edward pushed it away, a small part of him knew just how true it was. Right now, directly on top of the loss of alchemy, which had always been his first, automatic defence, he was fumbling slightly as he got used to not being able to simply clap and get something done. And his metal arm was also a thing of the past, limiting him just a little. His physical body had changed, but it had happened too quickly and his mind hadn't yet caught onto that. As such he lost valuable seconds with a clap or when he had to check because he was about to block a weapon with his now-flesh arm.

Thankfully that hadn't actually happened yet, but it was a very real possibility.

So, that answered why Cooper had chosen now to act. But... the _why_ of it all was still a complete mystery. Was Cooper hoping to try and create a chimera? If so, why choose Edward, who the military would lead a country-wide search for if necessary as opposed to a random civilian? For that matter, who was Cooper concentrating on Tucker's _failed_ experiment?

Frowning to himself Edward dropped the article and picked up the only closed file on the desk. In it were pages of writing and on the inside cover of it there was a date that showed it had been created around a week ago. The title underneath it was _Subject: Edward Elric, 034._

Obviously this had been planned for longer than Edward had been here then. What was the number next to his name, though? Didn't scientists usually use numbers to label the subjects they were... oh. Feeling queasy he almost put the file down, but forced himself to skim the papers instead in case there was anything important in it. Sentences jumped out at him.

'_Rumours on loss of alchemy appear truthful...'_

'_Currently no symptoms displayed...'_

'_Unable to replicate effects, but perhaps with someone already affected...'_

'_Will be hard to keep imprisoned...' _(Edward had to smirk at that one.)

'_Mind already linked...'_

'_Certain qualities only been rumoured...'_

'_May find out where I'm going wrong...'_

Edward was many different things, but he wasn't an idiot. After only a moment of contemplation it was easy to realise that Cooper was talking about Tucker's interrupted experiment, which had resulted in Edward and Alexander the dog forming a partial mind link... the mind link that wasn't as temporary as the ex-alchemist had led everyone to believe it was.

It chilled Edward to the bone to realise that, somehow, Cooper had seen though that lie and had managed to guess the truth; that Edward was no longer completely human and was, in fact, a partial chimera.

Sleepless nights had been spent researching his new condition when Edward had realised that there were still distinctly canine attributes in him long after the incident. But a partial chimera had never been recorded... hell, even Tucker's partial transmutation of "an unnamed, young boy" had been passed off as a failure and was never recorded. There was nothing to tell him if this would ever go away, which had begun to look more and more unlikely as more time passed. The main problem was that his condition was all in the mind, there was nothing physical about it. Eventually, discouraged and disheartened, Edward had been forced to give it up in light of the hunt for the stone.

Months, it had taken him, months to come to terms with what had been done to him and pretend to everyone else that he was fine. Now it was all being pulled out into the open again by this military deserter.

"The past needs to stay in the pasts," Edward whispered, closing his eyes for a moment.

After a moment he opened them again and turned away, closing the file and letting it drop as he did so. He knew everything that he needed now, and a lot that he didn't really need to, and all that was left was to get out of here and pass the information onto Mustang. Cooper was a madman and he needed to be locked up. It would not be good to be caught snooping in his study.

As he got closer to the other door, Edward couldn't help but notice a strange smell that was coming from behind it, strongest when he stood right in front of it and pressed himself to it, listening for any noises. It made him reluctant to go through it, not wanting to know what was behind it, but the sight of daylight persuaded him. Wrinkling his nose Edward turned the handle and pushed the door open.

He had only taken one step into the dim room before the cloying, sickening smell hit him in full force. Gagging Edward staggered sideways and forwards, trying to work out what smelt so bad and where it was coming from. It seemed to come from every corner and his eyes watered slightly at the force of it.

But before he could take much stock of the room, which was closed up, his attention was dragged first to the roof and his heart leapt. There was a single panel of glass in the roof, offering the only source of light in the room, taunting Edward with how far away it was. He could see the blue sky beyond it, and what looked like the tip of a branch.

There had to be some way to get up there to it. He could get up there he could smash it and be out in moments. Was there a ladder or something else that he could climb? He couldn't fail now, not when he was so close! Covering his nose with his mouth and breathing in as little as possible Edward staggered forwards, his eyes focused upwards, searching desperately for some sort of tool, some implement that he could use to help him...

He was so busy looking ahead that he wasn't watching where he was going. All of a sudden his foot slid slightly on something slippery and his balance, already poor because of the faulty automail leg, finally abandoned him. With a cry of a alarm, and reaching out for a non-existent surface to grab onto, he crashed to the floor with a very audible _thud_.

Groaning softly Edward lay there, his back and arm where he had landed throbbing slightly. His hands were resting on the ground in whatever had slipped on and he quickly wiped it on his trousers. Then he turned his head as he started to push himself into a proper sitting position.

He froze.

Because staring back at him, only inches away from his own face, was a pair of deep blue eyes, staring in his direction. Edward's breath caught in his throat; had he been found? Panic almost took root within him and he was about to leap up and flee when logic took over and forced him to look closer. The conclusion he came to, unfortunately, was far worse than the realisation that he might have been caught.

The eyes were wide and staring, blankly gazing slightly over his head. There was no life within those eyes, and the emotionless face they were set in was paler than Edward had ever seen. There was no mistaking it now that he knew it; whoever it was that was lying beside him was dead.

With a gasp Edward sat up and scrambled away from the person, revulsion and dread turning his stomach. But his hand came into contact with something hard and cold and he snatched it away under the horrified realisation that it was a stiff, white foot of someone else. A smear of red was left on the frozen skin and shaking slightly Edward lifted his hands to find smeared blood, the substance he had slipped on, was covering them.

Finally he looked around properly. He had wondered why Cooper had chosen him over a civilian... but he now realised that he hadn't. Because the people that he had already used were right here.

The smell that had hit him and was still permeating the room finally made sense and he cursed himself for not paying more attention. There were so many people in this room, and now that he looked he realised that every single one of them were dead. How many of them were there? _'Probably thirty-three of them,'_ he thought, fighting the urge to throw up as bile rose in his throat. Some had obviously been dead longer than others, and Edward knew it would be a long time before he forgot the lingering smell of rotting flesh, or the horrific sight of so many dead people, some of them gruesomely twisted and changed beyond identification. How had so many people gone missing without notice? What had been done to them that had horribly disfigured them like this?

The answer came to him in a flash. _'Transmutation.'_

No, chimera transmutation.

He had to get out of here.

Edward blindly leapt to his feet and swung around, not caring about the window that was above his head anymore. He could find another way, somehow. There _had_ to be another way.

But there was someone standing in the doorway, blocking his exit.

It was Cooper, looking far too calm for someone that was standing on the threshold of a room full of death. Edward's racing thoughts stuttered to a complete halt and he stood there for a moment, staring, before his brain kicked into gear.

"You!" he cried, zeroing in on the one person that could have caused all this. "What have you done?"

"I think you know very well what I have done, boy," Cooper said, a maniacal grin spreading across his face, completely at odds with his calm, pleasant tone. "The question you should be asking is what I am _going_ to do. It's all in the name of science, of course, and with your help I will further my research into partial chimera."

Edward took a stumbling step backwards. The man was mad, utterly mad. He couldn't stay here a moment longer, but there wasn't another way out.

"You think I'll just lie down and let you?" he snarled. "I won't let you continue your sick experiments."

"There's no way you can stop me," Cooper said dismissively with a shrug. "I will finalise this experiment and you are the key to it all. These worthless people were merely failed tests... but _you_ will be my greatest success."

Edward saw red. Heedless of his wobbling automail leg, uncaring that he was covered in blood, he sought only to knock away that smug expression as he leapt forward with an animalistic cry of fury, for once giving into the tiny part of his mind that was canine. Later he could be mortified, but for now instinct was the only thing that mattered.

But he never made it. He only got a few steps before something hard collided with the back of his head. He had been so focused on Cooper that he had never anticipated that there might be someone else helping him. Then he was falling down, down, down, down, Cooper's grin burning itself into his mind and the thick smell of death clogging his air ways.

**Next Chapter; **_Chapter Seven;_ Edward is caught and certain that he is about to die in a sickening experiment. Meanwhile Alphonse knows that something has happened as he, Mustang and Winry begin crossing off locations.

**Thanks to;**

Konaminae Nara, Eternal Love's Eclipse, Lexyaakidd, Yiriiyu, mysterious-Becci-D, Lazy Gaga, bloodynessie, and ELOSSS Alchemist


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer;** Unfortunately _Fullmetal Alchemist _belongs to Hiromu Arakawa, lucky woman that she is. I only own the psychotic little characters that torture hers.

**A/N; **I'm back! I'm so sorry, I suffered an incredible bout of writer's block and just plain depression, and when I factored that in with uni and a truck-load of assignments… well, it was awhile before I could get to this chapter. For everyone who are still hanging around, I will never give up on this story, I'm determined to see it through to the end, so you never have to worry about that :) Anyway, again, I'm sorry for the incredibly long wait, and thanks for being so patient with me. Enjoy this chapter and another will be out ASAP!

**Chapter Seven;**

When Edward next woke up he did so suddenly with the full realisation of exactly where he was and with a throbbing head. He kept his eyes closed and his body relaxed, however, taking note of what had happened to him while he was out of it.

Unlike last time when he had come to in the cell he was sitting up, his arms awkwardly twisted above him, what felt like a pole digging into his back. Carefully he opened his eyes ever so slightly and peered through his lashes and, upon finding he was alone, moved his hands; there were bound together and the soft clinking of a chain indicated that he had been restrained to this pole, likely on some sort of hook.

Confident that there was no one else here right now Edward opened his eyes and looked around. He was no longer in the room beyond the study, but instead in a large room that was lit by numerous torches on the wall. Apart from Edward and the pole it was utterly bare. It was the drawing on the stone he was sitting on, however, that gave him the chills.

He had had nightmares about this circle for a long time after Tucker's death. Sometimes he had woken in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, certain that Tucker was still alive somehow. He had gotten over it, eventually, but seeing it now brought back those terrors and he could do little more than shudder in horror.

He was jerked out of it by the sound of the handle on the door turning and he quickly relaxed and closed his eyes, shifting into the position he had been in when he woke up moments before the door swung open. Two sets of footsteps entered the room.

"Still asleep," grunted an unfamiliar voice.

"You did hit him fairly hard," Cooper said coolly. "I'm not surprised he's still out."

"You could just do it while he's sleeping."

"No, I need him to be awake so I can monitor what is happening. Activating the circle while he is still unconscious will not be beneficial. Still, I can finish setting up for when he does wake."

One pair of footsteps walked nearer to him and Edward struggled not to move a muscle, keeping his breathing even. He almost started when a soft, warm weight was draped on the knee of his right leg. A piece of what felt like rope brushed against his side and he could feel Cooper tying something to the pole.

'_An animal,'_ he realised. _'For the transmutation.'_ It was a small animal, whatever it was, and for a moment Edward thought it was unconscious too until it stirred and leapt to the ground. When it meowed he knew what it was.

It was strange that Cooper had picked a cat, especially in light of the fact that he would have known Edward had been transmuted with a dog before. What was the man hoping to achieve?

Truthfully, Edward wasn't sure Cooper would achieve anything other than death. Surely it wasn't possible to do another chimera, or partial chimera, transmutation to the same person? If he tried it Edward was almost certain that it would kill him.

Or it would overload his mind to the point of breaking it. He would be alive, but to what purpose? He certainly wouldn't be able to function very well any more.

Unfortunately he couldn't prevent the quick, reflexive flinch at the thought and the chains clinked on the pole, making the two others in the room stop what they were doing. He could almost feel their eyes burning into his head.

Damn, so much for pretending to be unconscious for awhile longer. With an inward sigh of resignation he slowly opened his eyes, peering down at the cat that was batting at the rope tying it to the pole at his side.

"You're awake."

Edward raised his eyes upwards. Cooper was standing only a few feet away, looking down at him with his arms cross and a contemplative look on his face.

"So?" Edward asked coldly. "No thanks to your little henchman."

Unfortunately the henchman in question was anything but little. He was standing nearest the door and he was a huge, hulking man with a fierce scowl. At Edward's words he cracked his knuckles, settling down only when Cooper glared at him.

"Yes, well, it wouldn't do for you to have run off," Cooper said. "We took precautions to make sure this experiment ran as seamlessly as possible. As you can see we are almost ready to begin the transmutation."

Edward briefly looked at the cat, which was getting slightly agitated upon realising it couldn't get free (he hoped that it wouldn't try and scratch him), and then turned back to Cooper. His best bet was to remain as calm as possible. Evidently Cooper hadn't finished setting up yet and the slightest misstep on his part could mean possible freedom.

"Why me?" he asked after a moment.

"It wasn't meant to be," Cooper said with a shrug. "But not one of my other subjects survived my experiments. No matter what I did I could not get the timing right. I'm hoping that I might have a better success with you."

"What makes you think I'll survive?" Edward asked, swallowing the sudden panic that rose in him; he had come to terms with the fact that this would likely kill him, but that didn't mean he was ready to die.

"Because you survived once," Cooper said simply, starting to move closer and frowning at a spot above Edward's head.

"That doesn't mean anything," Edward said, tensing slightly as Cooper came closer. "The fact that I both survived and didn't turn into a chimera was pure luck."

"Oh, I know that," Cooper said. He moved behind Edward and started fiddling with the chains; Edward winced as they tightened noticeably, pulling his arms almost painfully upwards. "But even if you die it should give me some sort of insight into what has been going wrong."

He moved around so he was standing in front of his sitting captive, grinning.

'_Idiot.'_

Edward looked up at him, incredulous at how stupid he was. He may have been bound to the pole, but he wasn't helpless. The chains only limited his movement. With Cooper in front of him it was more than easy to kick upwards, catching the man in the chin, and then curl his leg around and slam him into the ground.

Unfortunately Cooper's hulking bodyguard moved the moment Edward did and just as he was about to kick the fallen man again the henchman grabbed Edward and slammed his head into the pole. Instantly stars erupted behind his eyelids and for a moment he went limp, barely registering as Cooper scrambled away.

'_Ouch,'_ Edward thought as he regained movement, his head throbbing worse than ever now. He moved slightly, wincing as his head lurched slightly, and quickly became aware of a trembling presence pressed against his side; the cat had curled up beside him at the first sign of violence, seeking comfort.

"Clever, Elric," Cooper said, wiping away a trail of blood at the corner of his mouth. "But I still have the upper hand here. At the end of the day you're nothing but one of my experiments."

Edward bared his teeth at the man, gratified when Cooper took another step backwards. Even like this his somewhat vicious temperament preceded him. Edward's temper was about as infamous as his red coat and his stature (not that he was short, damn it, they were all just too tall).

"Surely you know that connecting me to _two_ animals in inadvisable," he said.

"Yes, well, this was the only way," Cooper said, a little ruffled now as he shot a glance to his bodyguard, making sure he was still there in case Edward somehow, miraculously, broke free of the chains and went for his throat.

"And the fact you chose two animals that are natural enemies of each other?" Edward asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Call it curiosity," Cooper said. "Or a scientific interest. Should you survive it would be something to study; two warring animals in one mind, only the human one keeping them apart."

Edward thought that that might interest him too had it not been so utterly barbaric. And had it not been happening to him instead of some nameless test subject.

"You won't have long to experiment," Edward said, huffing. "You do realise that I haven't yet signed the papers to terminate my contract. I am still a military officer. They're not just going to let my kidnapping slide, and my death will make things ten times worse."

"They'll never find us," Cooper said confidently.

"Yeah?" Edward asked, a shark's grin spreading across his face. "Colonel Mustang might be the most annoying bastard I've ever met, but even I admit that he's clever. And he'll be heading the investigation."

This made Cooper falter slightly. No doubt he hadn't really factored in Edward's commanding officer joining the search, let alone heading it. As one of the most powerful State Alchemists in the military he was certainly a force to be reckoned with.

"Even Mustang will never find us before I'm finished," Cooper said eventually. "I have hidden this place far too well, and only someone with an innate knowledge of Central would be able to pinpoint this location."

Naturally Cooper was somewhat right there. Mustang did not have the knowledge of the inner workings of the sewers and the back streets of Central (and wasn't Edward glad that they were still in the city; he had been a little concerned that Cooper might have moved them out). But the knowledge Mustang lacked in that department was made up ten times over by Alphonse.

Alphonse, who had followed his older brother even to the seediest parts in the city, who had been on every chase, every search, who had been there just about every step of the way. His knowledge was second only to Edward's, and there was likely no one in the military who knew those places better than the brothers. Alphonse would lead them straight to this place and there was nothing Cooper could do to stop it.

The timing was another thing altogether, unfortunately. Edward had been so incredibly lucky when Tucker had attempted to transmute him, but that wasn't to say he would be that lucky once more. How long had it been since he had been taken, anyway? He had been unconscious for most of it so far and his sense of time was off. Likely it hadn't been more than a few days, which was not enough to search every single place Cooper could likely have holed himself up in. This complex was huge, but the sewers ran through the entirety of Central.

"We'll see," Edward said simply. "But I guarantee that by taking me you signed your own warrant."

"Talk all you want, but your time has run out," Cooper said, pulling on a pair of gloves and kneeling at the edge of the circle so he was facing Edward. "Even if they found me in five minutes time it will be too late for you."

Edward braced himself, knowing that it was true. Mustang wouldn't be here on time again, unfortunately, and Edward found that he was at least glad that he had managed to get Alphonse's body back before this madman killed him.

With this thought in mind he raised his head, pushing down the fear he could feel bubbling in his mind. The time for fear was over. He may no longer be a soldier, but he had learnt a thing or two in the military, and that was to face death proudly if there was no alternative. Edward had a fairly close connection with death, he had faced it down and walked away from it on more than one occasion, but it seemed that this time he had lost the gamble.

And then Cooper placed his hands on the circle. Alchemy sizzled to life moments before it hit him and Edward screamed as he felt that same sensation, the feeling of his mind and body being ripped and torn in two. Beside him the cat yowled frantically, but there was nothing to save them now.

'_Sorry, Al,'_ was Edward's last conscious thought before he gladly gave himself back to the darkness.

FMAFMAFMA

Alphonse wouldn't have been able to say what exactly made him stop for a moment, his mind troubled as his pencil hovered over the map Mustang had given him. He had been in the middle of explaining something when he had frozen, the strange feeling of something being utterly _wrong_ washing through him. The pause made Mustang and Winry, who had been listening to him, look at him strangely.

"Al?" Winry prodded. "You okay?"

"I... yeah, I'm fine," Alphonse said distractedly. "I think."

Mustang and Winry traded quizzical glances, not sure what was up with the young boy. He was gazing blankly out the window, the grip on his pencil slowly tightening.

"Maybe we should let you rest," Mustang said, beginning to stand. "It has been a long, stressful day."

"Wait," Alphonse said, and his trembling voice made Mustang slowly sit again. "Something... something's wrong with nii-san!"

"What?" Mustang asked sharply.

"What do you mean?" Winry asked at the same time.

"I-I don't know," Alphonse said quietly, slowly pressing a hand to his chest. "But I can _feel _it. Something is really wrong."

It was Winry who remembered the conversation the three of them had had what seemed like so long ago. It had seemed funny, at the time, that Edward and Alphonse might be somehow linked, that Edward might be responsible for Alphonse's growth. They hadn't really mentioned it since then, and then the point had seemed moot when Alphonse got his body back.

But... what if...?

What if the link was still there?

"Al, something might be wrong," Mustang said quietly, catching the attention of the two teenagers. "We knew when Fullmetal was kidnapped that Cooper was going to try something. It has been two days now, more than enough time for something to happen. All we can do now is focus on our search and try and find your brother as quickly as possible."

Alphonse stared at the man for a long moment and then he slowly nodded in agreement, relaxing slightly. His pencil still quivered slightly in his hand, but he took in a deep, determined breath, ready to get back to work.

"We'll find him, Al, don't worry," Winry said with a smile. "With you showing the military where to go he'll be back with us in no time."

"Yeah," said Alphonse with a nod. "You're right."

A part of him still worried naturally. The strange, sudden understanding was something that he had felt deep within the darkest recesses of his soul. On top of that it had been a highly discouraging day for all parties involved with the search. The papers had gotten hold of the news of Edward's disappearance and nothing had turned up in the areas they had searched thoroughly.

Thinking of the paper Alphonse cast a side long glance at the day's issue, which was sitting on his bedside table. A picture of Edward (a candid shot; Alphonse would have remembered Edward having to sit down for a picture, as well as the fuss that would have been caused) that had been taken a few months ago had been used, under the caption _Hero of the Revolt Missing._ It hadn't just been in the papers, either; Edward's kidnapping had been speculated about and brought up all day on the radio to the point where Alphonse had had to turn it off around midday.

Everyone was outraged, though the backlash it had caused the military hadn't been as bad as they had anticipated. Mostly the people were focusing their rage on whoever had dared kidnap their hero straight after the major battle at Central. In fact, it was even a slightly good thing now because people all over Amestris were keeping an eye out, hoping to bring Edward back to his brother safe and sound.

Edward had many enemies, yes, but there were even more people out there who loved him. He was a people's alchemist, the one who was willing to go against the military if it meant saving them, and he was a figure that, three years later, everyone knew. It had been a bit of a surprise to Edward just last week, in fact, that the people had complained upon finding out that the fifteen year old was planning to leave the military. Edward had been chuffed about it, and then reluctantly released the information that the battle had cost him his ability to do alchemy, making him useless as a State Alchemist.

The consensus on this issue had been sudden and even more surprising. Just because he couldn't do alchemy anymore didn't mean he was useless. It was something Alphonse had told Edward again and again when his older brother had that look in his eyes, the one that said he wasn't sure where to go next.

It was lucky that so many people did look up to and admire him, though, because more eyes made their work faster. People called in and reported disturbances at places that were generally close to one of the locations Alphonse had marked. Alphonse, while he was in the cafeteria that morning, had been told by one of the nurses that her brother looked up to Edward and was doing everything in his power to help the search.

The military and the people would search for the Fullmetal Alchemist, his disappearance was not being taken lightly. It gratified Alphonse to see his brother so well-loved.

On the other hand... would it be enough? Would they be in time?

"Where else did we search today?" Winry asked, disturbing Alphonse's musings.

"In this district here," Mustang said, pointing at the map. "The warehouses and the isolated plot would have made it an excellent place for a base of operations, and a woman reported that she heard a ruckus there last night. Unfortunately examination indicated that it was just a couple of kids; overall it was empty."

"How did you know it was kids?" Alphonse asked as he crossed off that district.

"The empty bottles of alcohol were a dead giveaway," Mustang said dryly.

"Right," Alphonse said, rolling his eyes. "Anywhere else?"

"No, that was it for today," Mustang said, sitting back. "We'll be able to search more areas tomorrow, though, because more soldiers are being sent to me for the search. Fuhrer Grumman is considerably worried about Edward's disappearance." He sighed. "Truthfully I believe that our best bet is searching underground, unfortunately I wouldn't know where to begin."

"Here might be a good starting point," Alphonse said thoughtfully, pointing to a sewage line that ran underneath a little populated area. "Why do you believe they're underground?"

"Cooper has been doing alchemy quietly," Mustang said, staring intently at the map. "But alchemy isn't quiet. Ignoring your brother, who overdoes everything he's involved in, alchemy is flashy and loud. There's no way it would not have attracted attention had he been above ground. What about this area here?"

"No, it might seem like a quiet place, but that road there is actually a popular pass for supply trucks," Alphonse said distractedly. "The underground of Central is huge, it will be almost impossible to search every inch of it."

"That's why we have you picking out the most likely places," Mustang pointed out. "No doubt there is a lot you can tell us about every place you send us to." He smiled slightly. "Never forget, Alphonse, that you are holding the reigns right now. I may be commanding the team, but we are following your orders and directions. Without you we would be completely lost by now, because soldiers don't usually make it a practice to go to places like these."

Winry sighed exasperatedly. "Why am I not surprised that Ed did?"

"Nii-san knows even more about Central than I do," Alphonse said with a small grin.

"My point exactly."

"Well, I will have to settle for your knowledge," Mustang said, looking up at Alphonse. "Don't worry too much, because your brother is relying on you to lead us straight to him."

Alphonse sat up a little straighter at that. Yes, Mustang was right. Maybe generals and colonels were giving the orders to the soldiers, but it was the information he was relaying to Mustang that was being followed. He had to keep himself together for his brother's sake.

"So, let's pick out where you guys need to go tomorrow," Winry said with a small frown, leaning over the map. "What about here, Al?"

"Might be a good place," Alphonse agreed, peering at it.

Maybe he wasn't doing much, but he was doing everything that he could do.

Right now, it would have to be enough.

**Next Chapter; **Mustang discovers evidence that tells him they may be close to Cooper's hiding place, but is it possible that they're already too late? Meanwhile Winry and Alphonse discuss the search and Edward as they listen to the radio.

**Thanks to;**

sathreal, mysterious-Becci-D, Yiriiyu, FortuneFishing, Lexyaakiddd, Joker Oak, Eternal Love's Eclipse, Lazy Gaga, Kame-tan, anime-tigress-15, Mel72000, and iNatix

Thanks particularly to everyone who has been so patient and waited for the next chapter to come out. The next chapter is already written and is waiting to be edited, which I will do by the end of the week. I'm so sorry for the long wait, and I promise to try and do better in the future!


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer;**

**A/N; **I promised I would get this chapter out ASAP in order to reward everyone who's been so patient, and here it is; though not as quickly as I had hoped. Would you believe that I went on holiday for a week and, when I came back, my entire internet crashed? It was so unfair, but it's fixed now, thankfully. The next chapter is not yet written, but I will be getting onto that right away, so expect another update within the next two weeks, hopefully. Enjoy!

**Chapter Eight;**

Mustang couldn't be completely sure why, but there was something in him that shouted that he was getting closer. They weren't there yet, but maybe it was because so much of the map had been marked off now, and every failure brought them one step closer to their goal. Every time he stared down at that map he was in two different feelings about the variety of marks Alphonse had made; it had taken them four days so far and they _still_ hadn't found Edward, so there was a part of him that was supremely disappointed in himself.

On the other hand, Edward was able to take care of himself, and when someone was kidnapped it could take months sometimes before the victim was found. The fact that they were getting so close in only four days was a miracle in itself.

Still...

Mustang hadn't said anything to anyone else; god forbid Alphonse heard, and Hawkeye would glare at him and tell him he was stupid. But a tiny niggling thought in the back of his mind was terrified that they might not find Edward alive.

What if they were too late? What if Cooper finished whatever he was doing and left? What if they got there and found, instead of Edward alive and fighting...

Whenever these thoughts found their way into his mind Mustang was instantly flashed back to the times he had seen Edward in hospital, still and lifeless. It hadn't been often; despite the amount of times the boy had actually been in hospital he was usually fully conscious by the time Mustang got there. One time in particular stood out though.

"_Colonel, nii-san's in here. He's hurt really bad."_

_Mustang blinked up at the metal suit of armour. When he had been told by Hawkeye an hour ago that the elder Elric was in hospital – again – he had been certain it was yet another minor injury that Alphonse was fussing over. In fact, he was mostly here to check for himself that the boy was alright and tease him about landing himself in here again._

_He had not arrived expecting that Edward was hurt worse than usual. He glanced at the door Alphonse was gesturing at and felt a strange sense of dread coiling in the pit of his stomach._

"_What happened?" he asked._

"_We finished the mission," Alphonse said, his voice trembling slightly. "And we were on our way back. But the scientist, Harrings... he escaped and he came after us. He... he took us by surprise and nii-san..."_

"_Okay, I think I get the picture," Mustang said, holding up a hand. "Your brother, however, is incredibly resilient, and something like this won't get him down." He moved to the door and looked up in surprise when Alphonse took a step back. "Aren't you coming in?"_

"_N-no," Alphonse said, shaking his head. "I've been waiting out here. I can't... it's just..."_

_He trailed off and the dread Mustang felt increased. Instead of showing it he gave the younger boy a sharp nod and opened the door, slipping inside. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving him in the dimly lit room._

_Instantly he could see why Alphonse didn't want to come in here._

_Edward Elric was vibrant and full of life. He was always moving, and Mustang only ever saw him sit still for long periods of time when he was eagerly pursuing a new book. Right now, though..._

_His usual clothes had been folded neatly and placed on a nearby chair and the boy had been dressed in the dull hospital wear. His hair had been let out and splayed across the pillow and stuck to his chin. His eyes were closed and his face was slack and peaceful, his body utterly limp. A drip was connected to one arm and an oxygen mask was over his mouth... had he had trouble breathing?_

_It seemed so _wrong_ that he was lying there like that. Edward Elric shouldn't be lying confined in a hospital bed, he should be out doing things, out searching. It was incredibly hard to reconcile this Edward with his memories of the young alchemist who never seemed to stop for everything._

_That alchemist seemed immortal. This frail young boy was terrifyingly human and mortal, his life hanging tentatively in the balance. If it hadn't been for the slight movement of his chest as he breathed he may have even thought he was dead._

_It was a sudden wake-up call that Mustang could have done without. When Edward next came into his office, moving slightly slower and his tired eyes indicating that he hadn't fully recovered yet, Mustang gave him a research assignment in the city, determined to keep him out of trouble for a little while._

Mustang didn't want to see Edward like that again, looking for all the world as if he was dead, and he certainly wasn't ready for the vibrant boy, who had just completed his ultimate goal and had lost so much in doing so, to have the life sucked out of him. Edward had to be alive, he just had to be, because Mustang couldn't contemplate what would happen if he wasn't.

"Sir, we think Cooper may have been here at one point."

Mustang looked up sharply, registering that he had been standing in the middle of an empty underground room while his thoughts had whirled in his mind. Shaking them away he focused his attention on the soldier who was speaking to him.

"What did you find?" he asked sharply.

"Just something that seems to have been left behind," reported the major, handing over a single piece of paper. Mustang took it and his heart leapt upon realising that it was Edward's military profile. The picture of the twelve year old blonde grinned up at him, full of promise and hope for the future. "It was found in those old drawers over there."

"So, Cooper isn't here anymore, but he was, and likely not that long ago," Mustang murmured. "This is proof that he's been planning on taking Fullmetal for awhile. But I don't remember this being reported missing?"

"Cooper and Tucker's reports were shown to have disappeared around the same time as the investigation reports on Tucker's second attempted chimera, along with the file about his first exam," the major said. "We just got confirmation that Major Elric's file was reported missing about two weeks ago, though the news hadn't made it to you just yet. It gives us a little bit of a time frame."

"Yes," said Mustang with a frown. Only two weeks ago? It seemed forever ago. "See if there's anything else you can find."

"That's all we could find, sir. Unfortunately there has been no clue left as to where Cooper may be now."

"So we can cross this location off," Mustang sighed. "How are the other teams doing?"

"Not one of them has reported any findings yet, sir. It is getting late, though, and they would be starting to head back soon."

"Very well, pack up and move out if you've got everything you can from this site," said Mustang, straightening.

The major saluted and hurried off to repeat his orders to the other men. Mustang stayed where he was, staring at the file in his hand. He had looked at this file often over the years Edward had been with them, and he had memorised every detail by now. His lips twitched slightly as he gazed at Edward's height; he knew that was mostly a lie at the time, though likely a little more truthful now.

It was times like these that he wondered what he had been thinking. A child in the military was an automatic target. At the time, if he was honest with himself, he had been thinking of his own promotion. It was only months afterwards, as the boy started to worm his way into their lives, that he had started to regret his hasty decision.

Still, what was done was done. Mustang knew he couldn't have prevented this from happening any more than he could have prevented the homunculus from trying to take over Amestris. Things like this had a way of springing up on them, and all Mustang and his team could do was keep the damage to a minimum.

That wasn't the greatest consolation in the world, especially considering that Edward was still missing, but it was the best that he could do right now.

FMAFMAFMA

There wasn't an awful lot that Winry could do. She knew next to nothing about the inner workings of Central, so at best she could only point out areas that looked likely to her and see what Alphonse said about them. And, as she was a civilian, she was not allowed to participate in the searches that the military was conducting. Alphonse wouldn't have cared, but at least he would have known where he was going... she wouldn't know where to start.

It didn't help that she was incredibly worried about Edward, and it was hard for her to offer a comforting word for Alphonse when she only half believed it herself. Only a few hours ago Alphonse had asked her if she thought Edward would be alright, and she hadn't been able to look him in the eye as she had answered "yes".

It was really unfair that this had to happen. If she looked at it, thought back to everything that had happened since the Promised Day, Edward was the one who had lost out. He might have his arm back, but he still had a metal leg (he had jokingly told Alphonse that he didn't mind because at least it gave Winry something to do) and he had lost alchemy in the process, which had been a large part of who he was. Mustang had lost his sight, but Marcoh had given it back, and Alphonse was well on his way to recovering his full strength.

She wished she had known before now what had happened with Tucker, but Edward hadn't seen fit to tell her about something everyone thought was over and done with. Even Alphonse had thought there was nothing else, because his older brother had kept his secret so well.

And now this Cooper had come along and he was threatening to undo the peace that the brothers had finally managed to get. They really only had each other, with both their parents now dead (and that was another issue in itself because she had yet to tell Alphonse that his father had been found dead at Trisha's grave), and it was unfair, after years and years of struggling and finally accomplishing most of what they set out to do, that this had to happen now.

The problem with Edward Elric was that he attracted trouble like a magnet. He was so set and determined when he decided to do something that almost nothing could get in his way shy of being knocked out with a wrench or his brother using _that voice_, the one that had actually made Edward shudder when he mentioned it, though Winry had yet to hear it. It was his stubbornness and recklessness that got him into a lot of situations.

But then there were others, like this, that just found him because the world apparently liked to mess with him. No doubt Edward, in one of his more melancholic moments, would say that it was his just payment for breaking one of nature's most important laws. Winry, on the other, simply thought that Edward was so ill-content with sitting still that the world was just giving him something to do.

And as the world could be rather cruel in circumstances like these it probably made Edward wish that he had just sat still after all.

She sighed gustily, catching Alphonse's attention. He looked up from the newspaper he was reading to tilt his head slightly and give her a quizzical look.

"Something wrong, Winry?" he asked, and then smiled wryly. "Apart from the obvious."

"Unfortunately it is the obvious," Winry said with a small smile. "I'm just..."

"Worried," Alphonse supplied when she paused.

"Yeah," Winry said, sighing again.

Alphonse watched her for a moment, contemplating something. At a lack for anything else to do Winry picked up the radio beside Alphonse's bed and opened the back so she could peer inside it.

"You really love nii-san, don't you?"

Winry lost her grip on the radio and dropped it to the ground. Blushing furiously and avoiding Alphonse's far-too-knowing eyes she bent down and picked it up, glad to see that she hadn't broken it.

"Don't know what you're talking about," she sniffed.

She might have pulled it off believably too if she hadn't been redder than Edward's old coat. She bent her head so her hair could fall in front of her face and began inspecting the inside of the radio as though it held all the answers to the universe. Hadn't they just been talking about Edward being missing? How had Alphonse made the jump from that to however much she might care for his brother?

"Well, it's sort of obvious sometimes," Alphonse said with the air of someone who had known something for a long time and didn't really see why he had to explain it to her. "You don't treat anyone else like you do nii-san, and you're always really upset when we leave."

"Because I don't like being left alone without having a goodbye at least," Winry said sharply.

"Yeah, but nii-san's the one you get angry at, not me."

She _was not_ having this conversation with Edward's little brother. Yes, she might have come to terms with the fact that she loved Edward awhile ago, but that didn't mean she had to talk to anyone else about it. Particularly not nosy younger brothers who had no business knowing any such thing lest he talk to his older brother about it.

"I haven't said anything, you know, though I could have," Alphonse pointed out, a grin clear in his voice. "I think nii-san loves you too."

Winry almost lost the radio a second time, but managed to keep a hold of it.

"What?"

"Oops, wasn't meant to say that," Alphonse said, sounding entirely unapologetic.

Winry rolled her eyes. "Sure you weren't. Now, tell you what you mean."

"Well, I don't know for sure, and I don't think he's admitted it to himself yet," Alphonse said with a shrug and Winry felt a moment of disappointment. "But... its little things, you know?"

No, Winry didn't know, and she really would like to. But the tone of finality in Alphonse's voice told her that he wasn't going to say anything more about it. If she wanted to know she would have to find out for herself.

Which was entirely unfair on an entirely different level because Edward wasn't even here for her to talk to.

The thought brought back a sudden reminder that while she was here contemplating inane things about her love life, or lack thereof, Edward was out there in some madman's hands having who knew what done to him. Instantly her mood, which had lifted slightly, took a steep nose dive and she slouched in her chair, holding the radio glumly and flicking it on. Instantly soft music filled the room.

"Ed's really strong," she murmured, though she wasn't sure if she was trying to convince herself or Alphonse of that fact. "He'll be back soon."

"When he's back I bet the first thing he'll do is ask me if I looked after myself while he was gone," Alphonse mused.

"He'd be furious if you had joined the searches," Winry agreed.

"And he'd yell at Mustang for letting me. Then he would sit outside the door and make sure I didn't go anywhere else."

"Which would mean I'd have to drag him away to the cafeteria or something so he'd eat."

"As long as you didn't hit him hard enough to put _him_ in hospital."

The two teenagers shared a laugh because they knew that this would be a very likely scenario should Alphonse have joined the search in his state and Edward found out. The young ex-alchemist was so protective of his younger brother, likely because he remembered the feeling of having almost lost him.

"You think he'll be fine when he comes back?" Winry asked.

"Well, he might have to stay in hospital for a day or so, but nii-san's strong," Alphonse said, looking out the window. "And then he'll be running around as usual. He'll be back here by the end of the week."

"What do you think Cooper's planning to do?"

The question slipped out before Winry could stop it and they both fell silent, contemplating this. In the end no one really had any idea what Cooper was planning to do to Edward, they only had half-formed ideas and theories.

"_...In other news the Fullmetal Alchemist has yet to be found," _the radio announced suddenly stated and Winry and Alphonse gazed at the radio in her hands. The male voice was deep and booming._ "Reports from all over the country have been received from the people rallying their support for those who are searching, particularly in light of Colonel Roy Mustang's statement that he believes Elric to still be in Central somewhere. Currently no other news has been forthcoming and people are asked to ring in any sightings they may have had. It has been four days now and the military believe they are getting closer to where Elric is being hidden."_

"_It's a trying time right now," _said the second announcer, a woman. _"The military is trying to rebuild itself after the massive battle on the grounds of Central headquarters. Even over a month later those grounds are still a wreck and Fuhrer Grumman is doing everything in his power to calm the citizens and get everything back to order. For Major Elric to have gone missing like this is a major blow and it is great that the military is getting so much support right now."_

"_Admittedly, Elric isn't actually a major anymore, is he?"_ asked the male announcer. _"With the loss of his alchemy in the battle – and reports are still unclear as to how that happened though various scientists have speculated – Elric has resigned, hasn't he?"_

"_Technically he hasn't signed anything yet," _the woman reminded him._ "I have it on good authority that Major Elric was on his way to sign the papers when he was abducted. As such when Cooper is found he'll be tried for the abduction of a military officer."_

Winry and Alphonse glanced at each other in surprise. When had the name of Edward's likely kidnapper been released to the public? It had to have only happened today.

"_People are also asking if the disappearance of around thirty people around Amestris may be linked to this kidnapping," _said the man. _"Over the course of the last few months many people have gone missing and no one thought much of it as they were all in different areas. But thirty people in three months can't stay a secret for long and people are asking questions. What do you think?"_

"_It's hard to say," _the woman mused. _"I certainly hope that those people are okay. Unfortunately we have no more news on that matter. If you know anything else, perhaps about any of the people that are missing, or you have an idea on where Major Elric might be, give us a call. You'll hear more after this song."_

As the first strains of a new song played Winry flicked the radio off and frowned.

"News gets around quick," she said after a moment. "And what was that about all the missing people being connected to Ed's disappearance?"

"I don't know," Alphonse admitted. "We can ask Mustang when he gets here." He glanced out the window again at the rapidly darkening sky. "Which should be soon."

"I wonder if they found anything today," Winry sighed.

"Maybe," said Alphonse, grabbing the map and unfolding it. "They've covered a wide area, and it shouldn't be long until we find the place we're looking for, right? There's only so many times we can miss if they're definitely in Central."

"Mustang believes they are."

"So do I."

Winry smiled slightly and tugged the map out of Alphonse's grasp, folding it up again. They could look at that when Mustang got here. For now it would be best to concentrate on other things.

"So what happened to Mei?" she asked.

The answering blush was more than rewarding and it satisfied Winry. She may not be able to do an awful lot right now except wait, but at the very least she could prevent the two of them from worrying and stressing all day.

Because Edward would be home soon. They had to believe that.

FMAFMAFMA

Miles away from the hospital two gold eyes wrenched themselves open with a great shuddering gasp, mind grappling with two very different senses.

**Next Chapter; **Edward awakens, though his mind and senses can't quite seem to make sense of his surroundings or even himself anymore. Cooper is triumphant about his success and plans to make further use of Edward's condition…

**Thanks to;**

Joker Oak, mysterious-Becci-D, Mel72000, Eternal Love's Eclipse, Lazy Gaga, NyxOfIce, Yiriiyu, and kfk0003

Thanks also, even if you didn't review, to everyone who has kept with me through my long absence. All those months was a long time to wait, and I promise to do better!

By the way, I got a question about length. As of yet I don't know about how long this story will be, but I have yet to see an end in sight so it will definitely go longer than _Truth Behind Lies_. I would estimate around fifteen chapters, perhaps? We'll see :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer; **If I owned Fullmetal Alchemist then there would still _be_ a Fullmetal Alchemist. As there is not, I clearly do not own it.

**A/N;** I have no excuse except that my time management over the last few months has not only been somewhat limited but also slightly non-existent. I've been juggling uni and work, as well as practicums, and I found that I just didn't have a spare moment. But I've graduated now, so hopefully we shall get back on track! To everyone who is still with me, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Chapter Nine;**

He could _feel_ it.

It was _right there._

The overwhelming realisation that _the_ _enemy_, the natural predator, was so close, so nearby, and no matter how far he went he couldn't _get away_. He had to run, he had to flee, he needed to get as far as possible, but he couldn't.

He was barely aware of rolling to all fours, body shuddering. If he couldn't run then he could try and show this _other_ presence, this _enemy_ who was the boss. A hiss escaped from a raw throat.

A growl was his reply and, before he could even think about it, he was at the other side of this small room, clawing at the stone wall.

'_Clawing... no, wait...'_

He could feel it, there was something there to chase, but there seemed to be something else that was separating them, keeping them apart from each other. Frustrated, he batted at this strange wall, trying to get to it, to chase it and maybe even play, but he couldn't get past.

He whined and shook himself. Where was it? He could smell it, the scent was overwhelming his senses because it was _so close_ that he could almost reach out and touch it, but he couldn't _see_ it. There was just this realisation that it was _there_ and that it was nearby.

'_No... stop...'_

He couldn't get away.

He couldn't find it.

It was close, way too close.

Why could he smell but not see?

It was _there_!

'_STOP!'_

A gasping, ragged breath was suddenly drawn in and the form huddled by the wall froze, his body trembling slightly from the shock. For a moment no other sound was made and then Edward exhaled, pressing his shaking hands to his temples.

'_What the hell was that?'_

But he knew, even before he had consciously thought of the question, what the answer was. He knew what had overwhelmed him the moment that he had woken up, because it was still threatening to take over.

Of course, it was a surprise in itself that he even _had_ woken up, because Edward had been sure, so sure, that he was about to die. But he was alive, so the next biggest shock was that he was even consciously aware of himself.

Why hadn't the transmutation destroyed his mind? He could feel the different senses grappling for dominance within him, could smell and feel the presence of both a cat and a dog, and his mind was balking at it. Part of him wanted to run away, to find the closest high surface and leap onto it. The rest of him was relishing the idea of a chase, of running far and fast and chasing down his new playmate.

Firmly Edward squashed these two, contrasting urges. There was nothing to flee from, nor was there anything to chase. At the end of the day he was still Edward, and he would not be servant to the forced animalistic urges that had come from the transmutation.

How had it worked though? What had gone right for him that had gone so wrong for those poor people? Why was he not only alive but fully conscious?

Warily Edward looked around at his surroundings. He was back in the cell he had first woken up in upon his arrival at this place. He doubted, however, that it would be as easy to escape as it had been last time. Cooper would have more of an interest in him now, and would want to study this strange phenomenon.

Maybe even try another transmutation...

Edward shuddered at the thought and pushed it away as well. He didn't want to go through that transmutation for a third time, he didn't think his body would take it. After all, the first time he had gone through it he had blacked out for only a minute or so before waking briefly and then falling asleep. This time he had fallen unconscious immediately, his mind shutting down almost from the moment the transmutation had touched him, and he had been out of it long enough for Cooper and his bodyguard to unchain him and dump him back in this cell.

Edward's hand twitched suddenly and he realised that, without his noticing, his body had tensed up as though ready to run. Scowling inwardly he forced himself to calm down, refusing to let this beat him.

Then he heard them, clear as day. Footsteps, walking down a stone corridor and walking closer and closer. His body tensed again, and this time he let it because it was always good to be wary.

The smell hit him before anything else. It was harder for him to ignore his senses now that there was two sets of them, and he could no longer ignore the scent that told him Cooper was near, the scent he had noticed when he met him but had ignored, the one that was a mixture of danger and death. With two senses, however, he could no more ignore it than he could the stone that was steadily digging into his back.

Edward took a deep breath and sat up straight against the wall, crossing his arms. There was no point pretending that he had died from the transmutation, Cooper would see through that instantly and he hated to think what would happen to him if Cooper _did _believe it. So the only thing he could do now was present a strong front and pretend that he had been unaffected after all.

It was this pose, along with a defiant, angry glare, that met Cooper when he slowly opened the heavy door and stepped inside. Strangely, however, he seemed unsurprised to see Edward sitting there, awake and seemingly fine. Instead a slow grin spread across his face and the young ex-alchemist had the strangest feeling that something was about to go horribly wrong.

"It's about time you woke," Cooper said, lifting his chin and looking down at Edward. The air of superiority grated on Edward's nerves, but he refused to say anything. "When you blacked out yesterday I became worried that that was the end of you."

Edward's eyebrows twitched slightly, but it was the only indication he gave of being surprised at all. He had been unconscious for an entire day? If he had been worried before, then he was even more so now...

"The silent treatment?" Cooper asked, raising an eyebrow. "Trying to avoid any questions that I may require you to answer? You needn't have feared, Elric, I have no questions for you. All I require is the proof of my experiment."

Edward set his jaw and his glare darkened. If Cooper thought he would give him this 'proof' then he should think again. He would never give Cooper anything, not willingly.

But Cooper didn't seem worried at all by this show of defiance. In fact, his grin only grew more amused as he looked at Edward and held up a small cage that Edward had just noticed was clutched in his hand. He showed nothing outwardly, but his insides roiled with dread at the sight of it.

He had a feeling that, somehow, he would end up giving Cooper what he wanted... one way or another.

"The difference between you and I, Elric, is the lengths that we will go to for proper research," Cooper said. "Morals, laws, human rights... all of this becomes nothing in the face of the data that I can obtain. It is no worry to me that someone, such as yourself, might be suffering, and I feel no guilt out of forcing the data that I want out of them. I am a _scientist_, Elric, and it is my job to discover new things, no matter how immoral people think that I am." His grin turned manic. "I have no doubt that you will never tell me what I want to know, so I shall simply have to _force_ the answer out of you."

He crouched down and put the cage on the floor in front of him, the door turned toward Edward. With a flick of the finger the catch was released, opening the cage.

For a long moment nothing happened, and Edward began to doubt not only Cooper's words but also his sanity. Cooper, however, merely chuckled and gave the back of the cage a hard tap.

A small blur shot out of the cage and paused, huddled on the floor of the cell. Edward tilted his head and blinked, staring at the mouse that was suddenly sitting there. For a moment beady black eyes stared back at him, and then the mouse turned and fled.

Later Edward would not be able to say exactly what happened to him. One moment he was sitting on the floor, determined not to give in and then the next...

Well, all he really remembered was the sensation of darting forwards, quick as lightning, gold eyes focused steadily on the mouse that was suddenly his prey. Did it truly think it could escape him? Because he was larger, stealthier, quicker than it and it really had no chance. He would catch it, perhaps bat it around, eat it if he felt hungry enough...

It darted left and he followed, light on his paws and ready for anything. There was another presence in this small, dingy area, but he ignored it, because the hunt was the most predominant thing right now. He growled, steadied himself, and pounced, landing on the small creature.

It was as he caught the mouse, however, that Edward abruptly returned to his senses. He blinked again and gazed down at the small struggling creature trapped between his hands. The overwhelming urge to _do_ something washed over him, but he pushed it away, trying to work out what had just happened and how he had gotten all the way to the other side of the cell.

'_What the hell?'_ Edward thought, releasing the poor little creature and sitting back on his heels.

Undeniably he had just chased that mouse, but he barely remembered doing it. And suddenly remembrance slammed into him. Not of what had just occurred, but of earlier days when he had realised just how badly Tucker's failed transmutation had affected him.

Because there had been periods just like that, times when memory failed him and he was suddenly standing in a completely different place, on all fours. Once he had had a piece of raw meat in his mouth, and it was only later, when he heard the butcher complaining about some sort of animal that hadn't really looked like a dog (but, really, what else could it have possibly been?) that he had understood what had happened.

It had been the catalyst to realising that these canine effects that had plagued him were not going to go away. In fact, the longer he failed to recognise them the stronger they got. It was after this that he had made a conscious effort to suppress those instincts, to hide them from the rest of the world and pretend that they didn't exist.

But he was skilled in suppressing _canine_ extinct, to the point where it was almost automatic now. He could pretend that his sense of smell and hearing was the same as everyone else's, and he could hide that sometimes he just itched to get away and _run_, and that, occasionally, when he fought, he relished in leaping into the air on all fours and throwing himself at his opponent with all the grace of a guard dog defending against intruders. It was easy to hide all of that, because he knew each instinct now and how to suppress it.

But this was an entirely new set of instincts. _Feline_ instincts were completely different again, and he had yet to have time to work out how to begin hiding them, and keep himself from instantly reacting. If Cooper had thrown him a bone he would have given him a glare, but when he released the mouse...

It made Edward feel sick to his stomach to realise that he had been utterly had. In the end Cooper had gotten what he had wanted, and Edward had been able to do nothing to stop him.

"Thank you, Elric," Cooper said graciously, tempting the mouse back with a piece of cheese and closing the cage on it. He stood up, smirking down at Edward, who could do no more than look up helplessly at him. "You have been most helpful."

He left the cell, the door closing behind him with a deep, echoing sound that sounded almost like a funeral toll to Edward. And, when he had gone, Edward opened his mouth and yelled, releasing his pain, anger and frustration to the world.

FMAFMAFMA

Alphonse couldn't pinpoint exactly what had gone wrong, though he knew that something had. He could feel it as keenly as he could feel his own heart beating. There was no one around to discuss it with, however, so he simply curled up in his hospital bed and wrapped his arms around himself, imagining that his brother would be there tomorrow, walking into the room as if nothing had happened and sternly making sure that Alphonse hadn't done anything that would have overexerted himself.

It was a good thought, and Alphonse slowly fell asleep with this image in mind, holding it dearly to himself even if he knew, somehow, that it wouldn't be happening like that anytime soon. It comforted him, however, so he pretended that it was reality and drifted off into pleasant dreams.

When he woke the next morning he wouldn't remember what had troubled him so.

FMAFMAFMA

Colonel Mustang put his head in his hands and sighed deeply. At this time of night, when military headquarters were silent and he was left to his own damning thoughts as the moonlight fell across him, it was all too easy to think that they would never find Edward.

It was not a thought that he allowed himself during the day. In the brightness of the sun, faced with Alphonse's desperate hope, Winry's never-ending optimism and his team's tentative wishes, he would force all these thoughts away. There was no question that Edward would be found, and soon.

He _would_ be found.

By day he portrayed this strength, becoming a pillar of optimism and hope, encouraging everyone else on when it looked like they might falter. He comforted the two teenagers, promising that he would return Edward to them. He strode forwards with strong, determined steps, checking each location as though it would finally be the one that would lead them to Edward.

By day he was strong, a leader.

By night he was weaker, his chest hurting, aching until all he wanted to do was collapse to the floor and stay there forever, the burden that he had shouldered finally becoming too much. It was when he let images of Edward lying still on the ground, glassy eyes staring blankly at nothing, his skin cold and no breath rattling his chest. Or sometimes he would think of a body, almost mutilated beyond compare, perhaps almost unrecognisable.

When he didn't consider these possibilities, another, just as dark, thought would come into his mind. Of Edward, thankfully alive, but his mind gone. He would imagine that the bright spark that made Edward who he was had disappeared into oblivion, and he would wander aimlessly, not recognising anyone, not acknowledging anything but trapped within his own mind.

Sometimes Mustang wasn't sure what would be worse. He was either dead, or as good as, and he wasn't sure he could do anything to prevent it. He was trying, trying so very hard, but as each lead turned up false and each location ended up being nothing it was getting harder and harder to pretend that Edward was going to be okay after all.

He screwed his eyes shut and drew in a deep, shuddering breath. It was all too easy to believe that this was his, Mustang's, fault. Perhaps all this could be because he had given Edward the materials to research Tucker, gave him the means to find the truth that no one had even imagined, and thus ended up in him being partially transmuted. Or maybe it was because he had allowed Edward to hide the signs, even as he knew something wasn't quite right. Supposing he had kept a better eye on that file, would it still have been stolen? He should have watched it, should have made sure _nothing_ found it, maybe locked it away in a safe and pretend it had never existed.

And perhaps, just perhaps, he should never have gotten Edward involved in the military in the first place. If he hadn't been in the military, he would never have met Tucker, he would never have been transmuted in such away, never caught the attention of Cooper and, finally, would not have gotten kidnapped. If he hadn't been in the military, he would have been safe.

Yes, Edward had done an awful lot for the military, and for his brother. The countless successful missions, no matter how high the cost of them was, was proof of that. And that wasn't even discussing the defeat of the homunculi and the return of his brother's body.

Yet... when had Edward's simple search for a means to return his brother's body turned into an all-out save-the-world mission? He had done it, yes, with the help of everyone else, but he had lost so much too.

Was this how the world was going to repay him for that deed? Edward had saved them all even if he didn't have to. In return he had lost his alchemy and been kidnapped by a mad man.

Mustang snorted. Some reward.

"Sir?"

Mustang started and sat up straight, knowing that it was already too late and they had already seen his slumped, defeated form. But he knew that voice too, and as much as he hated showing weakness in front of anyone, he was slightly glad that it had been _her_ and no one else.

"Lieutenant," Mustang said tiredly, rubbing a hand across his brow. "Why are you here so late?"

"I could ask the same of you," Hawkeye pointed out shrewdly. Her sharp eyes would pick out, now, what Mustang had been hiding, at night when all his defenses were gone and his heart was on his sleeve. "It is past midnight."

"Is it?" Mustang raised an eyebrow fractionally, resisting the urge to glance at the desk clock and check for himself. "Perhaps we should get home now."

Despite his words he didn't move, and neither did she. He saw her amber eyes sweep his desk, noting the paperwork that was starting to pile up, and the pens that had been untouched. She would deduce, in an instant, that he hadn't been working all these hours, but it would also lead to questions that he didn't want to answer.

For a moment silence reigned between them, neither wanting to broach the topic that was hovering between them now. Mustang sighed, after long seconds ticked away, and leaned back in his chair.

"I find it easier to think at this time of night," he said simply by way of explanation.

"I see," Hawkeye said with a nod, her sharp eyes letting him know that she saw more than he was telling her. But she wouldn't ask, she would know he couldn't answer. "Would you like me to leave you to your thoughts for now?"

"No," Mustang sighed, tipping his head back. "I won't be here much longer, I believe."

It went so quiet that he thought she had left after all, but he didn't feel the strength to actually check. But then she shifted slightly and he realised, as warmth suffused him and almost banished the dark, cold thoughts, that she hadn't abandoned him after all.

"Sir, we'll find him," Hawkeye said quietly, and Mustang slowly closed his eyes. "It's only a matter of time, now."

"I know," Mustang said quietly to the ceiling. "I know, lieutenant."

'_But what state will we find him in?'_

**Coming Up; **_Chapter Ten: _As Cooper begins to plan the next stages of his horrific experiment Edward once more attempts to escape, discovering more in the process of just how far gone into madness Cooper actually was…

**Thanks to;**

bloodynessie, Skip, kfk0003, Fluehatraya, mysterious-Becci-D, Mel72000, Joker Oak

Hope everyone has a good Christmas and a brilliant start to the new year!


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer; **I don't own anything

**A/N;** Two years passed before I had even realised it. Life got in the way, and the motivation and inspiration that I started this story with slowly faded until I was looking at it and continuously saying 'I'll write it later'. I always have intended (and always _will_ intend) to finish this story, and I have planned the rest of it out now. For everyone who has stayed with me, thank you and I hope this chapter was worth it. For those who sent me reviews recently and reminded me that I needed to do something about this story, thanks for giving me the kick I needed.

Please enjoy this chapter and expect more to come!

**Chapter Ten**

Bad-temperedly Edward kicked at the stone wall of his cell with his flesh foot. He regretted this almost instantly; not only did dull pain explode from the point of impact, but his automail decided, at that moment, to act up and collapse beneath him, sending him crashing down to the floor.

Grumbling and cursing to himself Edward rolled over and sat up. It had been hours since Cooper had left him in this cell after forcing him to chase that mouse, and there had only been so long that he could be depressed about that. Now he was mostly sulking about being trapped.

'_I hate this place,'_ he thought viciously, suppressing the urge to kick the wall again.

It was dark, and enclosed, and it kept him _trapped_ and _away _from his brother, who was likely going mad with worry by now. The last thing Edward had wanted was to concern his brother, especially during the stages of his recovery.

He hadn't allowed himself much time to think about what was going on outside of here apart from the stray thought, but now that he wasn't trying to figure out what to do next or convincing himself that he was likely going to die, it came to him that he was rather curious about what everyone else, particularly his brother, was doing. He knew they would be looking for him by now, but would they think to look in all the likely places? Mustang, after all, was a proper military officer, and traversing the sewers of Central, as he had often made Edward do, was quite beneath him.

Then again, if Alphonse had something to say about it, then Mustang would be doing so now. Edward allowed himself a brief grin at the thought, slightly relishing the thought of Mustang trudging through dirt and grime for...

How long? Edward's smile turned into a frown. How long had he been here by now? Apparently he had been unconscious for a day after the transmutation, but that didn't really tell him anything. He could have been here for a week or more for all he knew. Or maybe he had only been here for a few days.

If it _had_ been a long time, though... well, Mustang would _have_ to be close by now. There were only so many areas that would be suitable for Cooper's planning, especially since the man was evidently very focused on not drawing any attention. Between Mustang and Alphonse he was certain that they weren't too far away.

At least, he had to hope so. With Cooper's successful experiment, Edward didn't know what was going to happen to him now. Not only was he still alive but he was also still functioning on a relatively normal level. What would that mean for him? What would Cooper decide to do with him?

All of a sudden he heard footsteps. Heavy, slow footsteps that Edward's keen ears said were unfamiliar – they couldn't belong to Cooper, then. The smell was different as well; that thick, cloying smell of death was there, but it was mixed in with the pungent odour of sweat and, oddly, smoke.

Unless there was someone else down here that he hadn't met (and that thought made him feel more anxious than he wanted to admit to) the person approaching the cell was likely the rather violent henchman that was currently helping Cooper. Edward's skull still ached in remembrance of the two blows it had suffered from this man.

Moments later the door creaked open, slowly as though to prevent him from taking the opportunity to escape. Edward wasn't an idiot, though. The man currently standing in the doorway was a mountain, broad, stocky and tall, and he was currently at a severe disadvantage with his injuries as well as his faulty automail. Therefore he simply sat where he was and instead focused on the tray the man was holding.

He had been so focused on the man approaching the room that the smell of the food he was carrying had somehow passed him by. But Edward could smell it now, and it made his stomach growl fiercely as it reminded him that it had been quite awhile since he had eaten anything, what with being unconscious for much of his unwilling stay.

"Food," the man grunted. He put the tray on the ground and pushed it toward Edward. "Cooper says you're to eat it all."

"Why?" Edward asked warily, eyeing it; was it poisoned?

The man allowed a brief, dark grin to cross his face. "You'll need your strength for another experiment soon."

He turned and left, the door slamming heavily behind him. Edward sat, frozen, listening to his retreating footsteps as his mind contemplated his words.

Another experiment?

Of all the things Edward had thought Cooper would do now, somehow this had not been at the top of the list. The man was insane, he truly was; did he honestly think it was possible to try another transmutation?

He thought he was going to be sick, the hunger giving way to thick nausea. That's what he wanted, right? He was going to try and transmute Edward again. And if that happened...

'_Food.'_

The thought forced its way passed the panic trying to cloak his mind. He could still smell the food, strangely good despite the fact that it was likely a far cry from even the terrible hospital food that he had eaten what seemed like years ago. It took him a moment to realise that the thought had at once been him and not him.

It was base instinct, he suddenly understood. His body needed food, no matter what his mind was thinking, and the now rather large animalistic instincts was reminding him of that. Food was in front of him, therefore he must eat.

At the same time, though, Edward rebelled against this notion. Perhaps Cooper wouldn't try the transmutation if he didn't eat. He had specifically left the instruction to do so, and if Edward didn't follow it...

Oh, who was he trying to kid? Cooper would attempt it no matter what, and eating the food that had been left for him wasn't going to change that. If anything it meant that he would at least have a full stomach when he faced Cooper's newest madness.

'_When...'_

Edward had blinked. He was sitting there, deliberating what would happen _when_ Cooper used him for yet another experiment. No thought of escape had entered his mind, not even once.

He had... given up?

The door was locked tight by now, his mind, the logical side, argued. Getting free would mean the possibility of running into that henchmen yet again, or perhaps even Cooper. Wandering around before had already told him that this place was a virtual labyrinth and that getting out of here would be easier said than done. There was nothing that he could do except simply wait for the inevitable.

'_...the inevitable. When did it become inevitable that it would happen, no matter what?'_

Slowly Edward stretched his legs out in front of him. There was a sudden fire that had started up within him at these thoughts, bright and burning as doubts and fears were swept away by it. It might end up being that it _was_ inevitable.

But Edward Elric had never let this get him down before. He had never sat back and let things happen, no matter how dire the situation. He had almost _died_ a few months ago, a pole spearing him straight through his side, and he hadn't even given up then. He had fought and he had lived, and he had gone on to fight another day.

Alchemy loss... a flesh arm that had previously been metal... a henchman that was twice as tall as him and three times as broad... a mad scientist... none of these things mattered! If Edward had the _will_ to try, no matter the outcome, then he _would_.

Edward clenched a fist. The food was still calling to him, and he surrendered to these instincts as he finally realised the wisdom of them. Cooper would not poison him because he needed him. It meant Edward could eat with worry. He could eat and strengthen himself for the encounters that were about to follow.

It was time to make a second attempt to escape.

FULLMETALALCHEMIST

Alphonse frowned thoughtfully, pen hovering over the map as Mustang watched him intently. They were deciding where they should go for the day of searching. There weren't many places left, and Alphonse's mind was spinning with facts about each of them.

Finally, however, he circled two areas, both very close to each other.

"Here," he said, tapping the circles with his pen. "This area here is all but abandoned; I can't believe I didn't think of it before. You can see how this area, here, is close to the outskirts of the city, and is right near this small forest, here. I don't know how to get in, though. This area, which is closer to the city, has easy access through the sewers, though it's difficult to find the exact entrance into it; you'll just have to search." He frowned at the two circled areas. "Brother and I came here a long time ago, though I doubt he'll remember. We were searching for someone, but we didn't find him. We both went into the one closest to the city... but only Brother found the entrance to the other one, though I don't think he actually went in. He said something about the forest, though..."

"Well, we'll look at this one, the one that is easier to get into, first," Mustang said, quickly scanning the map and committing the area to memory. "If we're lucky we'll manage to get into both areas today."

"After that there's only four more areas that are possible," Alphonse said, eyes flicking over the map. "If he isn't it them... we'll just have to search the ones that are slightly less likely due to the possibility of discovery."

"So be it," Mustang said, standing. "Look over those less possible areas and decide if any of them were perhaps more likely than you had considered; we may need them if we don't find Edward in the next few days."

Alphonse's hand clenched on the bedspread. "Yes, I'll do that, then."

Mustang's face softened slightly. "Don't lose hope yet, Alphonse. I know we're getting close now, I just know it."

The strange conviction in Mustang's voice, for from making him wonder, filled Alphonse with renewed confidence. If the colonel believed that they were nearly there, then he would believe it too.

"I'll leave you to it," Mustang said. "I believe Miss Rockbell will be dropping by soon, and I will need to organise the search for that entrance as soon as possible if we hope to cover so much ground today. Please take it easy."

"I will," Alphonse said with a smile.

With that Mustang was gone, leaving Alphonse alone in the room. He didn't allow his thoughts even a moment to creep up on him, though, instead turning to the map and gazing at it intently, much of it already marked off.

All the while he chanted a mantra, believing in it as fully as possible.

'_We're close, we're close, we're close...'_

FULLMETALALCHEMIST

It had not impressed Edward in the least to realise that the lock that Cooper had used to replace the one that Edward had broken was simply something heavy on the other side of the door. A swift kick in the moments that his automail was actually working was able to solve that problem; while he wasn't able to topple it he _was_ able to move it forward an inch or so, which was just enough room for him to slip out of the room.

It was likely a good thing it hadn't fallen. The heavy shelves that had been placed in front of the door would have caused an almighty crash that would have made Cooper and his henchman come running. At least this way he still had a while longer of anonymity.

The passage was exactly the same as the last time he had escaped, dim and dank with no sign of light anywhere. Last time he had turned left. This time, however, he turned right, limping up the corridor determinedly and making as little noise as possible.

He was quite determined to make sure that no noise meant _no noise_. Frustrations and irritation could get him only so far, but in a situation where he had to be, and _remain,_ subtle and quiet there was no room for fits of temper. He had tried this last time, and it had gotten him caught. He had to learn from that, as he had learnt from his other experiences, and do everything in his power to get himself free of this place before anything worse befell him.

And when he spoke of everything in his power...

He hesitated. He could feel them there, two very different sets of instincts that pressed against his own, urging him to act in ways that he wasn't comfortable doing. He was neither cat nor dog, he was _human_... but, as he stood in the dingy corridor of Cooper's hideout, he suddenly realised that these very different instincts could be incredibly useful.

If he could use them together... a combination of a cat's stealth, a dog's sense of smell and a human's intellect... well, anyone trying to catch him would find it near on impossible. Could he, though? Did he _dare_ attempt something that he had never been willing to try before, especially right at this important juncture?

'_If I don't try now, when will I?' _True, there was no better time than to attempt it now, despite what could possibly go wrong. And even if those instincts _did_ take him over (which, if he was willing to admit it to himself, was what scared him the most right now) then those same instincts would still be directed toward _flight_ and _escape_. After all, even animals knew when it was time to flee.

Edward didn't want to lose himself, but he was still standing here, he was still relatively human in mind. There were just a few different instincts that he was having to contend with now. If he took them and made them _his_ alone, even for just this short while, then what would he have to worry about? He was still be human, he would still be himself... he would just have a few different skill sets to fall back on as well.

'_Alright.'_ Edward straightened his back, swallowing with slight difficulty. He was unaccountably nervous, because never before had he ever thought to try something like this, instead preferring to pretend that he was completely normal. In this situation, however, where someone had seen through that pretence to the lie within, then his only hope was to do as they didn't expect and surrender to what he had previously ignored.

For the first time Edward would mentally become the part chimera that he had been turned into... he just hoped that he could control it when he did so.

FULLMETALALCHEMIST

Mustang was feeling a strange sense of urgency. Admittedly, yes, it really shouldn't be all that odd; his young subordinate had been missing for a good few days now, and he still had no idea if they were any closer to finding him.

But Mustang also had good instincts of his own, born of the years through the Ishval war and then the following bid to take power and rise to the top. Right now those instincts were telling him that something important was going to happen today. There was something about the places Alphonse had sent them to, something that would indicate some sort of breakthrough on Edward's location.

'_Soon,'_ his mind kept whispering. _'Soon...'_

His soldiers seemed to have picked up on his different outlook on this particular day. There was an atmosphere of anticipation as they marched toward the location marked on the map, the soldiers muttering quietly to each other instead of staying silent as usual. Mustang couldn't bring himself to care. His own trek toward the underground area was less of a march and more of a half-run, forcing the soldiers to follow.

Of this he knew for sure; Mustang would not be leaving today until every inch of the areas Alphonse had sent them to was checked out.

FULLMETALALCHEMIST

Golden eyes glowed slightly in the darkness as a figure crouched in the corner, surveying the area around him. Slowly he padded out of the shadows, tensed and ready to flee if need be, bare feet and hands lightly padding on the ground. With a swift leap he darted to the next corner, eyes narrowing slightly as he waited to see if anyone would notice.

'_Caution. The predator could be near. Avoid at all costs.'_

A strange scent hit his nose and he twitched slightly, raising it up in the air. One instinct battled for dominance and the first momentarily ran out as lips pulled back to bare teeth. He recognised this smell. It was the death-man, the one that chased and hurt.

'_But it is not strong. He is not here. Move on.'_

The first instincts shoved back to the front and the cautious journey continued. Keeping to the shadows, a feat not difficult in the dreary corridors, he continued on his way. He could feel that other instinct sitting near, the strange one that felt of predator and danger. Now, though, he realised that he was not the prey; he would need it to sniff out the danger as well as indicate where the escape was.

'_We must work together. All of us. All three of us.'_

Edward was there, right at the front, his mind working as it normally did. He could feel them, cat and dog, but he was starting to realise that they weren't _just_ cat and dog. This strange merging of three different instincts was forcing him to realise something that he hadn't wanted to face.

Those instincts were not an outside influence. They were _his_.

It was a strange thing to understand. Edward was not a dog, and he was not a cat, but the partial transmutations had given him instincts that he had always considered were separate from his own mind. But they weren't. Far from it. The instincts only got so strong because he had yet to work out how to control them properly. For this, though, as he acknowledged and used them as they were meant to be used, he was in complete control. He was there, in one mind, as he utilised each of the instincts he had been given at some point in his life; there had never been more than one mind in his head.

It was all him. Nothing was ever going to change that now, because there would never be a way to go back to the way he once was, before Tucker's dreadful attempt so long ago; he had certainly researched it enough.

So if he couldn't change it…

Then it was about time he embraced it.

**Coming Up; **_Chapter Eleven; _Cooper isn't about to stop now that he has achieved one resounding success, despite that trying again could result in the destruction of his test subject. As Mustang draws nearer and Edward tries another escape, time slowly ticks away from them…

**Thanks to;**

Thanks to everyone who has stayed with me through the years as well as those who have reviewed in the last few months; it gave me the motivation to continue and finally get this chapter done, as I have been intending for so long. I hope that the next chapter won't take even a tenth as long as this one did, and I'm grateful to everyone who has stuck by and waited. I hope this chapter was worth it.


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